The Cape Adventures
by queenpearl
Summary: A series of one shots and/or drabbles from various episodes in the series "The Cape". I don't know why the series didn't get more acclaim, it's awesome! Rated T for some chapters.
1. The Missing Child

_in the episode "Lost in Space" Columbia must help find a missing child before the press get too curious._

Tony was a trouble child. That much Columbia could tell right of the bat. He was rude, he was disrespectful, he was smart though. Smart enough to correct Peter on several occasions.

"I still don't see why I had to be chosen for this job." The former teacher had grumbled the day before. "Because you are a teacher so it's only natural you get to interact with kids." Columbia replied. She honestly found the whole situation amusing and Peter's fluster made it all the more comical. "Glad you find it hilarious, Collie." He grumbled. "While you're having the time of your life I'm off babysitting a bunch of annoying brats who are too smart for their own good." "Admit it, you like being a teacher again." She said. "I'm not a teacher anymore. I'm an astronaut. I should be focusing on that." He growled. "It's never a good idea to rush things, Peter." Columbia murmured. "Just take it slow." "Or accidents will happen, yes we've been over this before." He sighed. "Sometimes you need a reminder." She said. "You're lucky I'm so patient with you." He said, rubbing her nose. She purred, nudging his hand. "And you're lucky that I care enough to bother."

...

 _"Patience. Patience."_ Peter thought to himself as he worked to keep his anger in check as Tony corrected him for the third time that day. While he usually could put up with smart students, Tony had a sassy attitude that really got under his skin. Peter really had to work at the calming techniques Columbia had given him to use but he was certain that if the shuttle were here, not even she would tolerate this kids' disrespectful attitude. Though usually benign, Columbia had a "don't mess with me" glare that shut down even the most hard nosed malcontent.

"Where's 14?" Tony asked now, speaking of the old launching pads that Glenn and others used in the Apollo days. "If I'm not _wrong_ Tony, it should be somewhere next to 13 but it isn't there anymore. Torn down." Peter said. As the class broke up to head back to the bus that would take them to a viewing point for Columbia's launch, Peter took Tony aside. "You have a lot to learn about talking to people." He said. "And you have a lot to learn about being an astronaut!" Tony retorted. Peter sighed as for the umpteenth time that day, he got a lid on his anger. "I'm calling your parents, you're going home." He said at last. "But I'll miss the launch!" Tony cried. Peter felt a small twinge of sympathy for the boy. Any launch was an incredible sight to see. But he forced it down. Tony had to learn there were consequences for his actions. He dragged the boy by his ear towards the bus.

...

Peter's heart sank as he realized Tony was missing. The boy may've been a troublesome brat, a thorn in his side, but he was his responsibility. His handheld radio crackled. "I haven't received the final count Peter. There's a delay and I know you're behind it somehow!" Columbia's calm voice had an edge to it, one that Peter knew would become like a knife once he told her. "Collie, don't freak on me okay but I may've accidentally..." He began. "Out with it." She sighed. Peter could almost hear her eyes rolling. "I lost a kid?" He tried. Holding the radio at arms length did nothing to lesson the deafening noise that came through. Peter could hear the distinct sound of both English and Space Shuttle swear words and revving engines as Columbia vented her anger at him. At last she asked "How?" "He was being rude and I told him he had to go home. I put him on the bus but when we stopped he wasn't there." He replied. Columbia groaned. "So now he's loose on the premises and control fears he might be in the launch area." She asked. "Greaaattt!" She said with false enthusiasm. "I don't need the sarcasm right now, United States Space Shuttle Columbia Rediva." Peter growled. "What did I tell you about calling me by my full name ASCAN Peter Engal." She snarked back. "Okay, okay. I'll drop it." He sighed. "Just find the kid before the press gets a hold of this, Peter. This program has enough issues as it is." She said. "If this makes the front page, we'll never get off the ground again!" "Don't remind me of the stakes, Collie. I know." Peter sighed. "I'll keep you informed." "You better." She snorted. "I'll be radioing you every 10 minutes to get an update on your progress." "Now Collie, I really think..." He began. It was pointless arguing though. "Every 10 minutes!" Even through the comms, Peter could see her red eyes, narrowed into fine slits as her gums pulled back revealing her rather nasty set of fangs. Part of her battleship genome. She could and would bite someone if they didn't get the hint. Peter had seen it and his backside had no desire to feel the T-Rex bite force her jaws had. "Fine!" He sighed, rolling his eyes at her smug reply.

...

It'd been 15 minutes since Peter's last comm check and Columbia was getting ansy. Maybe he'd found something and was working it out, she didn't know. But by 20 minutes the wait was more than she could stand. "Get out!" She growled to her crew. Pilot and Commander Bull Eckhert knew exactly what she was about to do. "Columbia are you crazy?!" He cried. "Oh most definitely." She replied with false amusement. "Now GET OUT!" Even rookie astronauts knew not to mess with the leader of the Shuttle Fleet when she was in this mood. All seven of them filed out calmly, not daring to look at the fuming orbiter. As soon as they were on the ground via the baskets, Columbia detached from the external tank, breaking free of the lines holding her to the SRBs. Gravity took hold and she began to slide downwards but she deployed her landing gear and pushed off, executing a perfect backflip and landing evenly on the ground. She didn't stay still for a moment as she became a black and white blurr, racing down the tarmac and lifting off gracefully into the air. Several missions earlier, NASA at insistence from their retired Enterprise, installed an internal fuel tank that actually allowed all the shuttles to fly rather than glide. It was useless during takeoffs and landings on missions though due to the high altitudes but it was perfect for low level flying, like an aircraft, the other half of a shuttle's genome. Columbia passed by her maternal cousins, the Lockheed 38s that were parked on a nearby airstrip. She tipped a wing in salute as she did before following her ultra sensitive nose as it picked up Peter's trail.

Peter was more than impressed by Tony's room. No wonder the kid knew so much about astronauts, he practically lived the life already. His book knowledge was to be admired. The teacher turned astronaut was interrupted in his conversation with Tony's father as the house shuddered. "What was that?" Baxter asked. "I thought you said they delayed the launch." "They did." Peter replied just as a black and white head stuck its head in the window upside down and offered up a sweet smile. "Am I interrupting anything?" Peter face palmed. "I thought I told you to stay put, Columbia!" He growled. "Every 10 minutes remember? It's been 30 now." She replied. "You have a launch to do missy!" Peter was not amused. "Ah, delayed launch." She corrected. "And it will remain so until we find the boy." "Go home Columbia, I have this handled." Peter said. He was in no mood to deal with her antics, even if she was his favorite shuttle. "No way hose you need all the help you can get on this one!" She replied as the roof creaked under her. "Columbia..." Peter warned just as part of the roof collapsed, taking the shuttle with it. Fortunately, Peter and Tony's father weren't hurt. Peter rushed forward, helping to clear the debris as Columbia shook herself off. "Damn, Endeavor was right. I really do need to stop with the deserts." She sighed, giving a loud sneeze as the dust rose around her. "I am so sorry about that." Peter said to Tony's father who raised a pacifying hand. "You ain't no reindeer Columbia, but get my son back safe and we'll call it even." He said. Columbia nodded. "You have a deal Mr. Baxter." She agreed. "But Columbia, you can't just..." Peter began. "I can and I will. Face it, you're stuck with me Peter." She said. He sighed. "Where do we begin?" He asked. "NASA already has a chopper in the air and they were fueling up the Lockheeds when I left so the air bit is covered. What concerns me is the dense forest surrounding the launchpad. I can't even see through that foliage from up high and road vehicles can only go so fast through the forest and swamps. So that's where we'll start." She said. "In the swamp?" He asked. "Where do you think I go when I'm not on duty?" She asked. "So that's why you keep coming back covered in mud." He realized. "Mudbaths can be surprisingly theraputic and they keep the bugs off too so there's an added bonus." She said. "You should try it sometime." "I'll keep it in mind." He said as he used her wing to climb onto her back straddling her like a horse. "Hold on." She ordered. "To what?" He asked. There was nothing on that smooth white back he could grab. Columbia sighed. "Just dig your heels in if you have to." She ordered and launching herself off the house she took off into the jungle.

Columbia could cover the uneven terrain surprisingly fast. It was too fast for Peter's eyes to keep up with but he knew Columbia's eyesight allowed her to see things as if they were in slow motion, despite her quick pace. "There's too much forest for even me to cover before nightfall, Peter. Anything you have will be helpful." She said. "I was in Tony's room before you destroyed it. The kid's a Glenn fanatic!" Peter said. "Glenn, Glenn. What do we have on base that's related to Glenn? What familiar landmarks maybe" She asked. "The gantries, of course!" Peter realized. "Peter went to Gantry 13, its the closest one he could get." "Well at least he's not in the launch area." Columbia growled. She changed course so abruptly that Peter really had to dig his heels in to keep himself on her back. At Columbia's quiet hiss of pain he quickly apologized. "No my fault. I'll give fair warning next time." She growled and lowered her head as she picked up the pace even more.

Columbia skidded to a halt just below Gantry 13, the old launch pad for one of Glenn's missions. "Peter be careful." Columbia warned as he dismounted from her. "I'm detecting massive structural weaknesses in the frame." "Understood, I'll watch where I step." He promised, giving her side a grateful pat before heading up.

Columbia remained below, pacing back and forth nervously as she waited for Peter and Tony to come down. And come down they did, by falling. Columbia reacted instantly, rearing up as her back wheels took her full 2 tons. She caught Tony on her back and Peter in her jaws, being gentle as she grabbed him. "Thanks." The rookie astronaut panted as she set him down. Columbia nodded, then turned her attention to the boy. "You've caused a lot of trouble kid." She said sharply. "Yes ma'am." Tony bowed his head. "What do you have to say for yourself?" She asked. "Sorry ma'am." He replied. Columbia sighed, her gaze softening a degree. "Well I'd say you've learned your lesson." She said. "It's been over four hours Collie." Peter reported. "I'm sorry." She sighed. "Well we got the kid back at least. And before dark too so that's a bonus." "No launch then?" Tony asked, sounding disappointed. "Nope." Columbia said. "I suppose its a good thing too. I'm too tired now to even think about a run into orbit." "You look like you could use a little down time." Peter agreed. "What I need, is a hot bath and some warm rocket fuel." Columbia growled. "But first, Tony's father is expecting us." "We're gonna fly there?!" Tony sounded excited. "You bet your ass kid." Columbia replied, dropping into a crouch. "Dig your heels in." Peter climbed on behind Tony and the shuttle took off, landing in Mr. Baxter's backyard. The old man came running and as Tony dismounted he scooped his son up, holding him tight. "I fell dad." Tony whimpered. "Off Gantry 13 and I would've died if Columbia hadn't caught me. She saved me dad." Mr. Baxter eventually let his son go and approached the waiting shuttle. Columbia lifted her head as his hand cupped beneath her chin. His other hand came up just beneath her right eye. "Thank you." He said quietly. Columbia nudged him gently, giving a soft bark in reply. Mr. Baxter couldn't understand her but Tony smiled, coming forward with his pennant necklace in hand. He held it out to her. "I want you to have this." He said. Columbia tilted her head to the side. "I couldn't." She said. "Not that." "You saved my life today Columbia, it's the least I can offer." He replied. She lowered her head and he got the chain out to its full length. Amazingly, it slipped over her head, resting in a perfect spot around her neck. "It suits you." He said and she purred her thanks, licking his face a few times before turning about and taking off, back to Kennedy.


	2. Peeping Tom

_In the episode "Just a Rumor" Columbia works to protect Jack from a serious stalker._

It started off as a series of harmless phone calls but usually eager ladies man Jack Ryles quickly became annoyed with it. Being the highly trained pilot he was made it near impossible for him to show his emotions outwardly. He appeared every bit the stern but good-hearted man his friends had seem him be. But Columbia knew better. Her nose picked up on his increased sweat emissions as she heard his normally even heart beat speed up a notch. She saw him, when he thought no one was looking, as he glanced over his shoulder nervously as though he felt someone was watching him. Columbia was but she doubted he'd be reacting to her that way. All the pilots were used to the shuttles sometimes spying on them. The mischievous streak the old shuttle carried from when she was younger reared its head. There was only one way to determine what exactly was wrong with Jack and it involved one of her favorite pranks. Oh Jack better watch out.

Jack was helping prep one of the Lockheeds for a flight. He hadn't been up in a while and hoped the open skies would help clear his head and get rid of all the jitters he'd been feeling. The Lockheed he was prepping kept swinging its head around to look at something but when Jack looked nothing was there. He knew the plane had better senses than him though. "What do you smell girl?" He asked, stroking the Lockheeds' nose. The Lockheed shook him off and stared in the direction of the hangers, lip curled as it assumed a full flehmen position. Something was definitely out there. As Jack looked around he didn't notice Columbia sneaking up behind him. The big shuttle could be quite stealthy when she wanted to be. The Lockheed noticed but when Columbia motioned for her to be quiet, she opted to say nothing. Honestly she was intrigued to see what her pilots response would be. It wasn't often that one of the shuttles managed to spook a pilot as experienced as Jack.

When Columbia's nose touched him, the pilot leaped a good 3 feet off the ground, landing hard on his backside. "Ouch fuck Columbia what was that for?!" He demanded as he rose to face the shuttle. Columbia was laughing so hard her landing gear quivered with the effort of remaining upright. He scowled. "I don't find this funny!" He said. "Oh what are you talking about, it was hilarious!" Columbia wheezed. The Lockheed was laughing too. Jack continued to frown and glare until Columbia recovered enough to offer an explanation. "You've been jittery lately. Something's bothering you." She said. "That's not true!" Jack growled, immediately becoming defensive. This told Columbia she'd hit a nerve. "And before you start lying further I'll let you know that while you can fool your human friends you can't fool me." "Curse your superior senses." Jack grumbled. Columbia just stuck her tongue at him in reply. She waited for his answer. "Okay, fine!" He grumbled, giving up. "There's this girl. She keeps on calling me and I've asked her to stop but she won't. I've gone to her house once when she wasn't there and Jesus the girl is a fanatic." "A fanatic over you, why am I not surprised?" Columbia mused. He smacked her wing. "This is serious!" He hissed. "She's invaded every aspect of my life." The shuttle cowered under the blow before replying "If you can't put up with a peeping Tom, well peeping Lucy in this case, at some point in your life." She sighed. "Nonetheless, if it really bothers you so, I'll do what I can to help." Jack sighed, relaxing a bit. He felt safer knowing he had Columbia on his side. The shuttle was not one to be messed with. "Thanks Collie." He sighed.

A few days later Jack was trying to relax at the beach hut. His home away from home. The only place his stalker couldn't get to as she couldn't get past the gates. Columbia had been there until sundown. She'd wanted to stay the night but Jack insisted she go home. She had a launch in a few days and proper rest was impossible in this cramped space. As soon as Jack heard the unmistakable click of a safety going off from a pistol he instantly regretted sending the shuttle away. Slowly, he turned to face the girl. She wasn't bad looking with wild red hair and big glasses. Moving down from her face he could see she had a nice set of breasts and an even curve to her hips. "Outside Jack, now." She ordered. Hands up the astronaut complied. "It hurt me to see you with that girl, Jack." She whispered. "We'll figure something out, sweetheart just put the gun down." He said. Her hand shook as she kept the barrel level with his forehead.

"Jack!" Both the astronaut and the stalker turned at the same time to see Peter running down the slope with Columbia close behind. "She never listens." Jack murmured. "Never." For the stalker, this was unwelcome news and she pulled the trigger. Peter cried out as his leg was hit, his momentum carrying him the rest of the day down. Columbia lost it then, changing course instantly as she charged the stalker. The sight of a raving mad shuttle charging head on at someone was terrifying to most to say the least and the stalker was no exception. In a blind panic she brought the gun around and pulled the trigger a second time. The bang was tremendous. The worst part was, Columbia didn't even make a sound. The massive shuttle came to an instant halt, her landing gear folding up as she collapsed. "COLUMBIA!" Peter somehow found his feet and limped to his downed companion. Jack wasn't far behind. The stalker stood there, stunned at what she had done. Jack made no move to stop her as a third gunshot rang out and her lifeless body dropped to the ground.

There wasn't much blood so finding Columbia's wound was difficult. "Right between the eyes." Jack whispered. "At point blank range, that's a kill shot." "No, no, no." Peter mumbled. As his fingers passed in front of Columbia's nose he paused. "Jack." He began. "She's still alive. Heh, she's still alive Jack!" Jack felt the hot breath as his fingers replaced Peter's. "We have to get her back to base." He said. "And quickly." "Shuttle's have thick skulls but that fail safe won't hold forever." Peter agreed. Help was not far behind them. The sound of the gunshots put everyone on alert and Bull had a truck out there within the hour. Straps were placed over Columbia's head and beneath her wings to help lift her. "On the count of three." Bull said. "One two three." On three they helped guide the unconscious shuttle into the wide load truck bed. Peter climbed into the backseat where he was treated for his own wound while Jack stayed in the bed with Columbia. Jack was a whirlwind of emotions and every ounce of his Air Force training couldn't hold back his tears as they came. "You saved both our asses. Peter's okay. I'm okay." He said. "You just be okay. You here me?" He pressed his hand against her black nose cone, some of the velvety hairs already turning silver with age. "You do not give up. You hang in there." He growled. "You hang in there and we'll take care of the rest."

Columbia was rushed to surgery where they found the bullet lodged 3/4 of the way into her skull. If it'd been any other aircraft they would've been dead for certain. But due to their half warship heritage, shuttles were born with thicker sturdier skeletons than most aircraft. That design may've just saved Columbia's life. Peter and Jack were waiting impatiently outside the ICU when one of the doctor's arrived. "How is she?" Both men asked at once. "She's going to be fine. We got the bullet out and put a temporary graft on the hole it left. It'll dissolve away as the bone heals." The doctor replied. "We're moving her to the pool now. She should be waking up soon." Shuttle's may've been half warship but they were also half plane and the two different types of blood conflicted with each other on many occasions. This was one of them. Shuttles were exceptionally good swimmers but put them in water unconscious and they would wake floundering like drowning hippopotamus as their keen instincts took hold.

Sure enough, as soon as Columbia woke she began thrashing about. There were restraints keeping her in place until she calmed down both for her own safety and that of the hospital. Of these restraints the most important was the muzzle. Columbia could easily bite through the restraints if she wanted to but the muzzle kept her at bay and also allowed people to get in close to calm her without the fear of being bit. Jack stepped into the water with her, getting showered by spray as she thrashed. "Columbia, easy. Easy calm down. You're alright." He said soothingly. Columbia's head snapped around at the sound of his voice and the restraints creaked under the pressure. "It's okay girl. You just came out of surgery. They got the bullet out. Everything's fine now." Jack got in close enough so that he was right under Columbia's nose. The shuttle's red eyes were wide and through the muzzle low growls could be heard. She looked like a frightened, cornered animal. "USSS Columbia Rediva OV-102 of the United States Shuttle Fleet." Jack tried again. Her official name struck a chord with Columbia and she blinked. The fire in her eyes dimmed and she lowered her head, nudging Jack with her nose as calm as a kitten. Jack gladly pet her, reaching up and removing the straps that held the muzzle in place. There was no need for it now. The rest of the restraints were removed and Columbia climbed out of the water. The shuttle shook herself soaking every one else. Peter came forward on crutches and Columbia rested her head over him, enveloping him in a hug. Jack had to smile.


	3. An Experiment Gone Wrong

_In the episode "Reggie's Wild Ride" Atlantis is forced to land with her and her crew suffering from Mercury poisoning_

Barely five minutes after the explosion in the lab and Atlantis was already feeling the effects. Just because she didn't breathe oxygen didn't mean that she was immune. The vapors had gotten into her ventilation systems. Every breath she and her crew took made it that much worse. "I can't land like this." She panted. "You're going to have to try Atlantis." Reggie growled as he climbed into the pilots' seat. He was lucky. He'd been on an EVA when the incident happened and had only just taken off his space suit. But it was a long 25 minutes to the ground at the KSC.

Keeping her nose at a 30 degree angle, Atlantis' heat shield did well in protecting her. Once through she made a hard right turn east at 150000 feet heading for Florida. With any aircraft, falling asleep in mid air was impossible. Instinct prevented it and Atlantis was no exception. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to stay awake despite her intense desire for rest. She was disorientated, she couldn't focus. Everything was blurry and appeared in twos or threes. She had to trust her instruments. Currently all was green across the board. But she was approaching 1500 feet. Atlantis, disorientated as she was, couldn't get her preflare right. "Come on Atlantis, you can do it." Reggie hissed. She was at 1400 feet and still going over 300 knots. "Come on Atlantis!" Reggie cried. The man was barely conscious. Atlantis knew she had to get him home and quick. Instinct took over and the shuttle dropped her tail, completely reversing her previous nose first descent. She was coming up on the Cape fast. "300 feet." Houston reported. "Atlantis you need to drop the landing gear." "I-I can't.." The shuttle whimpered. "Yes you can, come on now." Houston assured her. Atlantis didn't hear them. She was so out of it she doubted she could hear anything. "Atlantis, lower your landing gear now!" It was Columbia's voice that snapped the younger shuttle out of her fog. Atlantis quickly did so, touching the ground at the KSC less than a minute later. That was too close. As Atlantis rolled off the tarmac she saw her sisters racing for her or maybe it was just Columbia. She was still seeing multiples.

Columbia reached her sister just as she fell unconscious. The elder shuttle grunted as she supported her sister's limp form. The antidote was administered and Atlantis was left to sleep it off. Columbia stayed by her side the whole time. Atlantis woke near sundown. "Oh my head, ohhh..." She moaned. Columbia licked her. "You gave us all quite the scare young lady." She said. "M'sorry." Atlantis mumbled, purring at Columbia's licks. "No more experiments for you!" Columbia growled. Atlantis wholeheartedly agreed.


	4. Revelations

_In the episode "Burning Fuse" Endeavor and Columbia must put aside their conflicts and work together to hunt down a bomb before Atlantis lands._

"I don't need you to micromanage me, Columbia!" "If you did it right then maybe you wouldn't need to be micromanaged! It's so simple. Brakes before the shoot. I saw Challenger do it in her sleep!" "Don't compare me to Challenger!"

Bull pinched the bridge of his nose as he listened to the eldest and youngest shuttle argue. Endeavor had been at the KSC for four years and for some reason she and Columbia did not get along. The last simulator test was one of their latest spats. Bull did not have time for this. He marched in the hanger. "Both of you knock it off!" He shouted. Columbia and Endeavor turned to face him. "We've got a bomb threat." "Again?" Endeavor groaned. Columbia shot her a look. "Do you ever take anything seriously?" She hissed. "Lock it up!" Bull hissed. Both shuttles stood rimrod straight at attention. "Now, this threat is looking less and less like a hoax. And even more importantly, it threatens Atlantis. If she lands, there's a chance she'll be killed." Bull said. "What about an alternate landing site?" Endeavor asked. "White Sands, Edwards?" "If Atlantis was going to land here, we wouldn't be having this conversation, Endeavor." Columbia growled. "And if you bothered to check your weather reports you'd know that neither is an option." "It was a valid question, geeze." Endeavor snapped. Columbia growled and she would've bitten Endeavor if Bull hadn't spoken up then. "I'm going to both of you to help find this thing. Which means we're going to have to work _together_ as a _team!"_ He said. Endeavor sneered. "Work with bossy tail over there, no thanks." She sniffed. "Oh please. As if I'm going to waste my time with a shuttle who has a rock for a brain." Columbia shot back. "Then Atlantis will die when she lands." Bull said simply. "Now I know neither of you want that to happen so I ask again. Can you call a truce for a few hours while we track down this thing?" Both shuttles shifted, not looking at each other. "Well?" Bull pressed. "Fine." Endeavor sighed. "It's not like I have a choice in the matter." Columbia agreed. Both shuttles followed Bull out but they kept their distance from each other and when one came close the other would growl a warning. Bull sighed, hoping the two would honor their word and keep their arguments to a minimum. He already had enough of a headache as it was.

The two shuttles covered a lot of ground with their noses. They searched for hours until Endeavor cried "I've got something!" "What do you got?" Columbia asked. "Someone's messed with the landing system." Endeavor replied, grimacing at her sister's harsh language. "If that thing's sabotaged, there really will be an explosion. Atlantis can't land here without that guidance system." Columbia growled. The massive shuttle joined her youngest sibling beneath one of the antennas. "It appears that a foreign cable has linked itself into the system, set on an automatic timer." She said, nudging the unfamiliar wire. "The bomb?" Endeavor wondered. "Hmm, it's possible. Let's follow the cable. See where it leads." Columbia said. "Whoa, whoa, whoa shouldn't Bull know about this first?" Endeavor asked. "There isn't time. Atlantis is imitating her OMS burn now. She'll be here in less than an hour." Columbia replied. "Yeah but we should let the guy know. He may be the only one who can diffuse the bomb." Endeavor said. "We don't know if this cable leads to a bomb or something else. We'll only know when we get there." Columbia said. "Sometimes you have to put aside protocol." "Oh like NASA did on 51L." Endeavor snapped back. Columbia winced at that one. "I know more than you think I do, Columbia. My whole life, my very existence is nothing more than a shadow to Challenger. Don't deny it." Endeavor added as Columbia opened her mouth to argue. "You see me that way too. You look at me and you see whatever the hell is left of Challenger. You don't care about me. You hate me." "Endeavor.." Columbia tried. "Well, I'm sorry I'm not OV-99. I'm sorry I was built from what was left of her. I am who I am Columbia. And I can't change that." Endeavor growled. "Yes!" Columbia cried. "I hate you. I hate that when they built you they couldn't just bring Challie back. I hate that she had to die in the first place! You can accuse me of many things Endeavor but don't you ever EVER say that I don't care. For you or for anyone else! I hate you because I care. I cared too much. I loved Challie too much and when she died..." Columbia broke off. "I died that day Endeavor and I nearly took my sisters with me. If something were to happen to you or Discovery or Atlantis. I could never put any of you through what I did after Challenger." Endeavor was silent, her head lowered respectfully. When she spoke her voice was uncharacteristically quiet and solemn. "Would it really do you better Columbia? This closed off attitude? If something happened to me now, would acting like you never cared for me really do you good? It would be worse wouldn't it. Because through that pain, through that grief there is one bit of solace. Knowing that Challenger knew you loved her. I wouldn't have known Collie." By now both shuttles were crying. Endeavor cautiously moved forward, pressing her nose lightly to Columbia's wing. "Let it go Columbia. Just let it go." She closed her eyes when she felt Columbia's head rest over hers, her nose buried in the crook of her wing.

It was several minutes before both shuttles recovered enough to get their minds back on their mission. "So, cable." Columbia said. Endeavor nodded. "Lead on." She said. As they followed the cable out of the jungle and into the open field, Endeavor asked "So what do we know about this bomb? It's gonna go off when Atlantis lands but how?" "Well some bombs have listening devices so that when they pick up a distinctive sound they go off." Columbia replied. "What kind of sound?" Endeavor asked. "Could be anything." Columbia replied. "Something distinct." Endeavor's jaw clenched. "The sonic boom." She whispered. "2 minutes before landing only this time it's really gonna go boom." "Well shit." Columbia checked her chronometer. "Shit, shit, shit!" She cursed. "We've got 30 minutes. We need to move."

"The Assembly Building." Endeavor muttered. Columbia paused up ahead. "What?" She asked. "We're looking in the wrong place. The bomb would need to be pretty huge if it was going to do any damage to the shuttle as it lands. Big enough to be seen on the runway." Endeavor said. "Yes?" Columbia encouraged. "Well the coordinates Atlantis needs to land are in the Assembly Building. She gets them 3 minutes before landing. Destroy that building and she's not coming down, not in one piece that is." Endeavor said. "Let's go!" Columbia growled and the two took off in a dead sprint across the field. Bull spotted them from his position. "They're onto something, let's follow them." He ordered his bomb squad. "We're looking for something the size of a football maybe. Probably has an active timer on it." Columbia said as she and Endeavor began searching around. "What do you have Columbia?" Bull asked as he raced up. "Endeavor's convinced the bombs in here somewhere and I trust her." Columbia replied. "Why the change of heart?" He asked. "We had some, revelations." Was the shuttle's reply. "Wazzgoingon?" asked a sleepy voice and Columbia turned to see Discovery making her way from the back of the building. She'd been performing a series of high intensity training exercises until late last night. Columbia's eyes went wide as she spotted a small black box right beside Discovery's right rear wheel. "Discovery don't move!" She cried, racing over. "What? What's going on Collie?" Discovery asked as Columbia folded up her landing gear, trying to squeeze in beneath her sister. She couldn't quite reach the box with her teeth and after some careful maneuvering she managed to get her cargo arm out and hook the box. "Gotya." She chuckled. Discovery's eyes widened at the sight. "That isn't..." She breathed. "A bunker buster with a titanium casing." Discovery said. Columbia whistled. "It would be a crime. Oh yes it would be an absolute crime to dismantle you." Discovery rubbed the dark object almost lovingly. "But that ain't gonna stop me." Columbia pulled it back from her sister and held it in her jaws. "Endeavor, see if you can spot Atlantis. She should be in range by now. Discovery, what's he safest distance to be when this thing goes off?" "Um, at minimum 300 yards but I'd want to avoid this thing going off on base if I can help it. It could be nuclear. Some are." Discovery replied. "Make that 8 miles then." Columbia sighed. She eyed the timer. It read 2 minutes. "I'll be back." She said. "You'd better." Endeavor growled. "Good luck!" Discovery called as Columbia lifted off, gaining speed with altitude. She leveled off at a mere 5,000 feet pushing her engines harder than she ever had before. "Come on, come on!" She growled, her gaze flickering back and forth from the timer and her speed indicator. The latter read 340mph and the former 1:30. The biggest problem was that if she dropped the bomb now, even though she was 8 miles away from the base, when it went off it would hurt a lot of people so Columbia set her nose to the east heading for open sea. Birds circled around her and Columbia winced as a seagull got sucked into her right engine. "Now I know how Tomcats feel." The shuttle grumbled, glancing again at the timer. 30 seconds. She was now 60 miles out to sea and when the countdown reached 20 she let it drop then banked hard right, hissing as her engines protested. She looked back in time to see it explode just above the water's surface. The effects were minimal. Nodding in satisfaction, Columbia set her course for home.

She had an onshore breeze working for her but she quickly became concerned as her right engine began to sputter. Apparently it had taken in too much seagull. Columbia growled. She couldn't fly on two engines. She needed all three to keep her overweight bulk in the air. "Just hold a little longer." She growled, resisting the pain. The coast was in sight and she watched as 10 miles in front of her Atlantis banked around for her landing. Columbia was maybe 10 seconds behind her. It was cutting it close and she ran the risk of running right into her sister but Columbia couldn't afford to circle around and wait. Her engine was making it pretty clear to her that she was landing soon whether she wanted to or not. Growling she came in a little faster than she wanted to but she'd lost her chance to correct that. Her touchdown was perfect and she slammed on the breaks to avoid hitting Atlantis' drag shoot. Her right engine shut down as soon as she slowed. "By the race of god." She panted, limping over to Endeavor who embraced her. "That was incredible!" She cried. "Am I missing something?" Atlantis asked, confused to see the eldest and youngest shuttle actually being nice to each other. Maybe it was because she'd had a long day or maybe it was because she'd just escaped death. Whatever the reason, Columbia just busted up laughing and Endeavor joined her. "What?" Atlantis' question just made Columbia laugh harder. She leaned into Endeavor for support. "A-Atlantis." She giggled between hysterics. "You have some catching up to do."


	5. Royal Prank War

_In the episode "The Astronaut Formally Known as Prince" Columbia must put up with an arrogant Arab sob on her latest mission._

"A little to the left. More to the right. Ohh perfect." Columbia sighed. Jack climbed down off her back. "Better?" He asked. "Much thank you." She replied, nuzzling him. "Happy to be of service Columbia." He answered, rubbing her nose.

"Jack!" Bull called as he came up. "Yes?" He turned to face Bull. "What can I do for you?" He asked, stumbling as Columbia nudged him insistently with her nose. He grumbled to her and tossed her a treat. "You remember the Prince?" Bull asked. Jack snickered. "How could I forget?" He answered. "Guy was the worst trainee I've ever seen. Finished last in the International Training Program 3 years ago." Columbia added. "Well he's been assigned to the next shuttle mission which I believe, if I'm not mistaken," Bull said shuffling through his papers. "Is yours Columbia." "Oh WHAT?!" Columbia cried. Jack motioned for her to calm down but the shuttle was on a roll. "I am not taking some rookie into space especially not that rookie!" "You know I never did figure out what he did to you to make you hate him so much." Jack mused. She whacked him across the head with her wing. "Stuff it Ryles." She growled. Jack wasn't sure what stunned him more. The smack or the use of his last name. "Calm down Collie jeeze!" He said. She huffed. "Well if he is coming and if he is stuck to my mission I'll have to prepare then. Ooh this is gonna be good." Neither Jack nor Bull liked the light that entered Columbia's eyes. "5 bucks says Columbia kicks his ass." Jack whispered. "Make it 10 and you're on." Bull whispered back.

The prince arrived in a massive jet that just screamed I'm a rich sob. The jet itself was fairly polite and humble. Maybe it knew a thing or two about how to act around shuttles. Columbia gave him points for that. After all her war was not with the plane but with his owner. When the prince was here last he made history by pulling the first successful prank on Columbia. A fish gut trap covered with a scent blocker so Columbia couldn't detect it. She'd spent weeks getting the smell off her and hadn't forgotten that humiliation. Now that he had returned, it was payback time!

"Hello Columbia." Columbia growled at that familiar voice. "Still holding a grudge I see." The prince said. "You dumped fish guts on my face!" She hissed. "You can't take a little joke prank queen?" He asked. "Then you need a new hobby." "You know the reason why I'm the prank queen and you aren't is because I don't get retaliated on." She replied. "Am I expected to watch my six while I'm here." He asked. She narrowed her eyes. "You'd be a damned fool if you didn't." She replied. "Let the games begin." He said and turned to go. He slipped on a banana peel that Columbia had so kindly put in his path and fell on his backside into a mud puddle. _"Sometimes the simplest pranks are also the evilist."_ Columbia thought as she laughed. "Let the games begin indeed!"

Once in space Columbia felt more at ease. For one thing the prince was more focused on how to get around than to bother her and as well he shouldn't. This was her domain, she was ruler here and god protect the ones who try and challenge her. But while the prince wasn't pranking her he was getting on her nerves still. His lack of teamwork skills really showed. Eventually she snapped "You know the world doesn't revolve around you. You may've made it through the program but one thing you obviously missed was how to be part of a team!" She left him to his sullen silence. She felt bad about it later when she heard the news that his father, the king had slipped into a coma. "I'm sorry about your father." She murmured. "I was going to see him a month ago, then this came up." He said. "Last I talked to him was the day before the launch. I said some things I regret." "He'll be okay." She assured. "I hope so." He whispered. "But right now there's a nation of 3 million people down there waiting on my decision. I-I don't know what to do Columbia..." Columbia didn't either. And as flagship she could sympathize. It was hard enough leading a fleet of just 4 shuttles, let alone a whole nation of 3 million plus people! So she opted for the best advise she could, what she always did. "Do what your heart tells you." She replied. "Its in times like this that the heart may not speak the loudest but it always speaks the truth. Listen to it and you'll never go wrong."

"After due consideration I have decided to follow my father's guidance and sign the treaty. If any of you have seen what I just did, you would agree. There are no borders in space. No boundaries, no fences, no security checkpoints. Countries try to solve their problems by fighting maybe we should try a little harder to work things out." Columbia nodded her satisfaction as he signed off. "Truce?" She asked. "Conceding defeat Columbia?" He teased. She huffed. "Never." She replied. "But under the circumstances..." "Truce." He agreed.

"PRINCE AZZAD!" Bull was surprised to hear the shuttle's cry. He was even more surprised to see Prince Azzad running down the tarmac with Columbia hot on his tail. The shuttle was covered in pink paint. He rolled his eyes and went back to work, wincing as he heard the sound of a rattling trash can. Jack doubled over laughing as Azzad tried to get his bearings from inside the trash can only his legs sticking out. Just 2 days after she landing and already the prank war was back on. As long as the tricks were kept to minimal harm stunts he and NASA would politely turn a blind eye but that wouldn't stop them from secretly snapping pictures and collecting blackmail material. Hidden in the shadows Discovery snickered to herself as she got a perfect shot of Columbia's new paint job. _"This is going on the wall where everyone can see it."_ She thought.


	6. Emergency: Part 1

_In the season finale, Atlantis sustains damage that prevents her from returning to earth. Columbia brings the repair kit but will it be enough?_

Atlantis groaned in pain from the hit she took on her jaw. She'd lost at least 3 tiles, she could tell that much. Rechencov was a madman. Activating the gyro stabilizers while she was attached to the station. That was bound to end in disaster. "Atlantis talk to me." called Jack from mission control. "Jack I, ack!" Atlantis cried as she tried to answer. "What, what is it?" Jack was frantic. Atlantis whimpered in reply, not daring to talk again. "Come on Atlantis I can't play charades when I can't see you!" Jack growled. "Jack, the solar array hit her jaw. It could be broken." Bull said. "Eh am so sorry." Andre added. Atlantis nodded. It wasn't his fault but she couldn't tell him that.

"I saw at least one tile go by." Bull said. "And just one is all it takes." "There's only one way to know for sure." Tamara said. "I'm going out." "You're crazy!" Bull cried. "The only way to know the extent of the damage is to take a walk. And I have the most hours of EVA." Tamara growled back. "Okay, okay." Bull agreed. Tamara nodded and left the cockpit to suit up. She exited the cargo bay, tethered to Atlantis by a long cable. "Lift your head up for me Atlantis." She murmured. Atlantis did so and Tamara couldn't help but gasp. "Tamara, update please." Bull asked. "It's bad Bull. I'm seeing at least 3 tiles missing from Atlantis' lower jaw. The bone's not broken, its dislocated." Tamara replied. Bull cursed. It took at least 4 people to set a bone of an average sized aircraft on earth. Add in the zero gravity conditions of space and it made it near impossible and too risky to attempt. It would have to be done by another shuttle. Bull radioed the updates to Houston. "We'll have someone up there, Atlantis. You just sit tight." They said.

Back at the KSC, Columbia was enjoying her breakfast. It wasn't often she got human food. After her last mission very nearly ended at the pad, NASA had her on a strict diet. The human food was a welcome relief from the same bland taste of rocket fuel three times a day, every day. "Columbia!" When Columbia saw Jack sprinting towards her, the look on his face immediately told her that her day was about to get interesting. "What's the bad news?" She asked as he halted in front of her. "Is Atlantis..." "She had a collision with Mir. Solar array took off at least 3 tiles from her lower jaw and the bone's dislocated. She can't respond to us." Jack replied. Columbia was on her landing gear at once. "You better have those tanks ready by the time I get to the VAB mister." She growled. "Finish your breakfast first at least!" Jack called as she made her way outside. She paused. "Thanks but I've lost my appetite." She replied. "You're welcome to it." And then she was off, leaving Jack to stare at a half eaten plate of sausage and hash browns.

The night before her launch Columbia couldn't sleep. She knew it would cost her later but she didn't care right then. Her first and only worry was Atlantis. Her fears consumed her and Columbia vowed she would get her sister back home safely or she would die trying. She launched early in the morning and when the countdown reached zero she lifted off the pad faster than she ever had before. "Columbia we read you're over speeding." Houston said. "That's my sister up there!" Columbia cried. "I'm gonna damn well speed if I want to!" Jack laughed. "Easy old girl." He said as he eased back on her controls. "Roll maneuver complete Columbia." Houston said. Columbia allowed herself a moment as she felt the wind breeze past her face. Her jaw clenched as Houston made the call for throttle up. She thought of her late sister. "Challie if you're up there please keep Atlantis safe." She whispered. "Don't let me lose another one!" The old shuttle relaxed once she cleared that phase of the launch. _"I'm coming Atlantis."_ She thought. _"Just hang on."_


	7. Emergency: Part 2

_A continuation of Part 1. Columbia makes a risky repair on Atlantis and she can only pray it will be enough to help the younger shuttle back to Earth._

Columbia spotted her sister from a long way off and made her way towards her. She came in from above, gently docking to her sister's back. "I've got you now." She whispered. "It's gonna be okay." It hurt Atlantis to speak but for her sister she tried. "I know." She replied. Columbia nuzzled her. "I have to reset that jaw. Can you keep still for me?" She asked. Atlantis nodded and braced herself. Columbia was gentle as she grasped her sister's face, holding her injured jaw in between her cargo arm and her left wing. "Okay, one two three." She wrenched into place. Atlantis screamed, her whole body convulsing under Columbia who quickly backed off. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She whispered, holding her sister as she collapsed against her. "I've got you. Shh, shh." Atlantis whimpered and sobbed against her and Columbia gave her a few minutes before backing off. "The hard part's done. Now I need to get those tiles in." She said. Atlantis nodded, stretching her nose out for her. Getting the tiles in was quick work. "Our window's coming up in a few minutes. It'll be straight to Kennedy from here. Think you can manage?" Columbia asked. Atlantis nodded. "The tiles feel good." She said. "Though I'll try and keep a majority of the heat off them." "You're going down first. I'll be just a few minutes behind you." Columbia said. "It'll be a steep angle." Atlantis warned. "I am in the condition to handle it. You are not." Columbia replied. "Good point." Atlantis agreed. "See you on the other side." She flicked her tail in farewell, banking right as she entered the trajectory that would take her back to Kennedy.

Columbia waited 2 minutes before following. It meant that her angle would be much steeper. 40 degrees instead of 30 but that's what her pure black nose was for. It gave her room for something like this but she was pushing it to the limit. As soon as she leveled off Columbia noticed something was wrong. She began spotting debris. Tiles and the like. Apparently her makeshift repair hadn't held. She could only hope and pray that Atlantis would make it home. Arriving at Kennedy was like a slow motion nightmare. Long before Columbia landed, as soon as the space center came in view Columbia could see that something bad had indeed happened to Atlantis. The lights of paramedics flashed everywhere on the runway as the older shuttle came down. The broken form of a shuttle told her all she needed to know.

The combined efforts of Discovery and Endeavor weren't enough to restrain Columbia from charging to her stricken sister's side. Atlantis was a mess. Ugly burns and blisters marred her belly and her white hull was stained rust red. She'd collapsed soon after touchdown, her landing gear buckling under her weight. The paramedics were currently trying to get the wheels back down out of their slots to take a closer look. "She's broken both her radial and ulna in her nose gear." One reported to Jack. "I'm sorry man, we've got to put her down." "No!" Columbia cried. Jack held up a hand to stop her. "I can't approve that." He said. "Those bones are essential to the function of the nose gear. She can't walk without them. Keeping her like this wouldn't be fair." The paramedic said. "Wait, I broke my ulna once in a training exercise. I was put in a sling for a few weeks and healed up fine." Columbia said. "That's one bone, Columbia. Atlantis has broken both. That's a hell of a lot harder wound to heal. And very few aircraft ever do." The paramedic said. "My sister can be one of those few if you give her the chance!" Columbia hissed. The paramedic glanced at Jack even though he knew what the pilot would say. No one would argue with Columbia when she took on that tone.

The older shuttle could only watch helplessly as her sister was carried away on a stretcher to her hanger where she'd be treated for her burns, then hung in a sling for the next few weeks. Columbia never once left her sister's side. She felt personally responsible for her sister's injuries. It was her repair that had failed. The only solace she had was at least Atlantis' jaw was healing. Atlantis remained in the sling for 6 weeks and that whole time Columbia did not eat or sleep once. She didn't even lie down, staying level with her sister.

Bull was fighting sleep in yet another boring meeting when he heard a loud thud. Bull at first assumed it was one of the stupid technicians dropping a binder again. Wouldn't be the first time someone tried to make a meeting interesting. Atlantis' frantic wailing told him otherwise and he and several others were out of their seats and racing down the tarmac for the shuttle's hanger. Atlantis remained in her sling though she was swaying back and forth, trying to reach her sister and wailing all the while. Bull sucked in a breath at the sight. Columbia had collapsed on her right side, the force of her impact with the ground snapping her right wing clean in two. Blood covered the floor. Ignoring this, Bill cautiously stepped forward, kneeling beside the shuttle who had risked so much to bring him and his crew home safely. Columbia's teeth were bared whether from anger or pain he couldn't tell. It didn't matter. It was her last snarl if her blank eyes were anything to go by. Bull was fighting tears, reaching down to close her eyes when Columbia convulsed beneath him. Her thin frame rattled with her gasping breaths. "What are you trying to do Columbia? Give me a heart attack?!" Bull cried. Columbia rolled upright, her landing gear folding under her weight as she was too weak to stand. She collapsed on her stomach, weakly returning Atlantis' nuzzle. "Challenger, I saw her." She panted. "She was right there in front of me. She didn't say anything and I doubt I could've heard her anyways. It was hazy. I-I would've joined her then I thought of you." She looked at Atlantis who quietly listened. "I couldn't leave you. She understood. She'll keep waiting for as long as it takes. 10 years, 50 years, a hundred." "You need to get some rest now Columbia." Bull said. "I'm fine." Columbia tried again to rise only to fail. "Bullshit. I saw you less than a minute ago. You were DEAD!" Columbia groaned. "I won't rest, until I know Atlantis can walk again." "It wasn't your fault." Atlantis said. "I brought the tiles. I did the repairs. I am responsible." Columbia rasped. "I don't blame you. I never will." Atlantis replied, nuzzling here.

Bull knew the shuttle would not rest on her own. "Get me a sedative." He ordered Jack. "Nothing heavy. In this state something as simple as benadryl will knock her out." Jack nodded and left, returning a minute later with the needle. Bull stroked Columbia's nose while Jack stuck the sedative into Columbia's back. The shuttle was too weak to fight them and drifted off. Then they set to work setting her wing. She'd need at least 2 months of grounded healing before she could even think about taking to the air. At least right now she was alive and that's what mattered. Atlantis stood faithful watch over her sister, smiling as an IV with nutrients helped restore some color to Columbia's pallor and her gentle snores filled her ears.


	8. Watch the Mike

_From the a scene in the episode "Family Values"._

 _"Okay, you've lost GPC 4 and it looks like it's down hard."_

Columbia smirked. "I've still got primary machines and my flight control panels are okay."

For two hours they'd been doing this back and forth, playing disaster scenario in the simulator. It was a great way to pass the time and get valuable flying time in at the same time.

"She's right." The first controller said. "What now?"

"Pick out an AC bus?" The second said.

"We already shortened one of the essentials." The first replied.

 _"Columbia, you've been in there for a while now. Don't you think uh..."_

 _"Let's do a landing."_ Columbia replied.

"We did a landing." The first complained.

 _"Tire blew, you compensated. A good touchdown if rough."_

Columbia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Rolling her eyes she replied _"I can't believe you guys ran out of disasters."_

 _"We could knock her out."_

 _"And let her float for a while?"_

 _"At least long enough for lunch."_

 _"Oh she'll never buy that."_

Neither guy seemed to realize that the mike was still on. Columbia snorted back her laughter. _"Fella's."_ She said, making a blabbing motion with her wings. _"Mike's open."_


	9. Morning Grumpiness

_A drabble from the episode_ _"Buried in Peace". Atlantis is not happy about her wake up music!_

Atlantis had expected it. She'd set the alarm herself but it still startled her when it went off at precisely 08:00 hours EDT.

"Jesus Christ." She grumbled.

 _"Hey, good morning Atlantis."_ Said Columbia with a cheerful tone.

Still half awake Atlantis switched on her radio.

 _"Ready to make history? First American-Russian joint satellite repair."_

 _"Columbia, I always appreciate your enthusiasm but can I shoot the DJ."_ Atlantis grumbled. She groaned as her sister's laughter was heard across the line.


	10. Nacogdoches Columbus: Part 1

Like most ranchers in central-eastern Texas, Kale Danzing-Moon was up with the dawn, feeding the pigs and chickens before getting on horseback to see the cattle and then returning to the house to wake her two children, 6 year old Emma and 7 year old Brian. She had no husband. Not anymore. He was one of the first men to enlist in the army after 9/11 and shortly after setting his boots in Iraq, had been killed in action. Kale could understand his sense of duty. She too had been military once. Navy instead of Army. Her stint on active duty was brief, just 5 years in the 90s as a Surface Warfare Officer but she'd been in the reserves ever since and was steadily making her way to the 20 year mark where she'd begin to receive full benefits. Her throat burned and eyes watered at the memory of that fateful message that came through on December 2. That was 2 months ago, shortly before Christmas. She'd told her children right away, believing it unfair to keep such a thing from them. They'd mourned over Christmas. It was the 1st of February now and they were just coming to terms with their grief.

Forcing back her emotion, Kale marched up the stairs and into her children's room. Two beds sat on opposite sides of the room, one next to the window the shades of which were pulled tightly down, the other up against the opposing wall. A closet faced both of them holding much of the children's large clothes and toys.

"Time to wake up! Sun's a shinin'!" Kale pulled the shades on the window, allowing the sunlight to stream in full force.

Emma was silent as she emerged from the covers, her curly blonde locks falling around her face. She looked at her mother with bleary sleepy eyes. Brian was a bit more talkative. "Mom, it's a Saturday!" He whined.

"Is it? I didn't notice." Kale replied, a bit of a smirk on her face. It was that "there's work to be done so let's get moving and you know I'm right that there is so you have to" smirk.

Brian grumbled a bit more but hauled himself out of bed. Little Emma held her stuffed bunny "Armadillo" under her right arm, a little yawn escaping her.

"Your cereal's downstairs so get dressed quickly!" Kale ordered them and marched out of the room.

"She just has to act like a drill sergeant, every single day." Brian grumbled.

"I think its fun." Emma said sweetly as she set the bunny down on the bed to get at the drawers underneath.

Emma chose a little flower sun dress with white leggings. Her long blonde hair was held back out of her face with a red headband. Now wide awake, she skipped her way out of the room, leaving Armadillo on the bed. (She didn't take him downstairs with her, she was a big girl now!) Brian, who'd chosen a more simple jeans and a Star Wars T-shirt, followed at a more reserved pace. Emma got a bowl out from one of the cabinets and chose her cereal (her favorite, Honey Bunches, was indeed out on the counter) and poured it into the bowl. The milk was in the fridge. Seeing that the skim was running on empty, she blamed Brian for that honestly, she chose the half empty galleon of 2% and happily filled her bowl with it.

"Careful you don't spill it." Brian said and Emma stuck her tongue out at him, setting the milk down on the counter for him to use. "Where's the skim?" He asked.

"Empty because somebody drank it all." She replied. It was his turn to stick his tongue out at her. Unfortunately, Kale walked in then.

"Brian, put that back in your mouth where it belongs!" She ordered.

"Yes 'em." He muttered.

"Now if you two can get through breakfast _without_ fighting, I might be inclined to take you two into town later today." She said.

"Really?" Brian grinned excitedly and while shy Emma didn't say anything, her eyes lit up.

"Yes but only if you two get your chores done so eat your breakfast quickly and get to it!" She ordered.

Both kids were quick to obey her order. As Emma sat down, she happened to glance at the clock. It was a big grandfather that'd been in the family for generations and was currently hanging from the wall at their grandmother's request. The old lady could be quite scary sometimes and had convinced her son, their father, to display it. The 6 year old found it hard to believe that her father was gone. She was too young to understand death, had been fortunate to never see it before. That would all change. The time on the clock read 08:05.

...

Jessie was a heffer. One of the oldest in the herd. Her wisdom and experience in many matters made her a prize for the lead bull, if their was one. But the bull was always kept separate except when it was time to breed. The humans were very strict about this and it was beyond Jessie's mental capacity to understand why. She didn't much care for what they did sometimes, she had a good life. Her ears became pricked as a foreign noise was picked up. A predator? Unlikely. It didn't sound like anything she should run away from. Her instincts had nothing to say on the matter. The noise intensified and it almost sounded like that insufferable high pitched squealing that humans would sometimes do when they pressed their lips together. But this, this was much much louder. And if it was growing louder, then it must be coming closer. _"Move now fool!"_ Her instincts said and she did, leaping to the side and charging up the hill. Behind her, a loud crash and the herd panicked, racing to the far end of the field. Jessie slowed her pace and dared a look back. There was a large hole in the ground, right where she had been standing moments before. Dirt splayed out mainly in one direction towards her covering much of the fertile grass. Most animals would leave well enough alone but Jessie had always been the curious one. It was that same curiosity that allowed her to learn much about her world and share that wisdom with the others. So she approached the hole, peering down over the edge. And _something_ stared back at her. None of Jessie's instincts could tell her what this creature was. It was covered in the red dirt that had been pushed out upon the impact. It was lying on mostly its left side, wedged in the small hole that now trapped it. The strong smell of blood filled Jessie's nostrils. There was something familiar about that scent but it was off, as though it'd been diluted with something else. Uncertain if this newcomer was a threat to the herd or not, Jessie backed off a step. Then it groaned. Not a complaint or a cry at the stiffness in its joints but a sheer agonizing groan. A groan that begged for help. Jessie was uncertain. She didn't possess the ability to heal injuries. If she got a cut the humans would care for it with their interesting tools of theirs. Yes, that was it. Get the humans! They could help! The creature looked up at her and some sense of recognition flooded those eyes. Eyes as red as Jessie's coat. She wasn't sure if the creature could understand her but Jessie offered a soothing moo to it. She raced off, ordering the herd to make as much noise as they could. Stomp around, ram the fence, anything to get ranchers to come out of their house and help.


	11. Nacogdoches Columbus: Part 2

The commotion from the herd was more than enough to grab Kale's attention. Her late husband's cattle were generally very well behaved and rarely, if ever, caused any stir but now they were acting up far more than they usually did. Something was wrong. "Finish your breakfast children and meet me in the upper field." She ordered, racing out back.

Lee was waiting for her as he always was. He tugged against his tie as if to say _"untie me and let's go!"_ Kale quickly undid it and threw the reigns over his neck. In one fluid motion she was up on his back. She backed him up a few steps as she got her right foot in its stirrup. "Let's go old boy." She growled and the gelding complied, breaking into a soft gallop at his rider's command. Making her way to the fence, she gently eased back on the reigns and Lee slowed to a halt. The herd was in disarray, galloping back and forth all over the place, hitting the fence with their heads and all the while calling out, it was chaos. And in the center of it all was Jessie, she was standing by some disturbance in the ground. Frowning, Kale urged Lee forward and the gelding trotted down the fence towards the gate. Upon seeing her, Jessie gave a loud cry and the herd began to disperse away from her. Now Kale could see fully what had gotten the herd so

riled up. There was a large crater in the ground, mounds of earth sprayed all over the place. Reaching down, Kale unddid the lock on the gate and stepped her horse through, turning him around on the other side so she could relatch it. She trotted down the hill to the old heffer and from her stance on Lee's back she could see clearly down into the hole. It was fairly deep, about 4 foot and small too, more like a dug trench than a round hole. At the bottom lay what Kale could only describe as some kind of medium sized aircraft. Bigger than a Cessna but smaller than a 737. It groaned and Jessie immediately offered a soothing coo. Clearly the old heffer had drawn Kale's attention to help the poor thing. "Good girl." Kale reached over and stroked the heffer's head. Jessie gave a soft moo and smiling, Kale dismounted, letting Lee's reigns fall to the ground. The gelding wouldn't go anywhere. He knew to stay put. Kale climbed down into the hole and presented herself in a none threatening manner. Her time in the Navy told her to be very careful with aircraft for some could be extremely sensitive to conduct. Hazel eyes stared into crimson and the aircraft growled. Not threatening but warning and immediately Kale dropped her eyes. _"Okay, note to self: do not look it in the eyes."_ She thought. That was an important piece of information, critical for any help she could give to the injured bird. She approached more slowly, halting when she heard another growl. Daring to look up she found that she had stumbled into the aircraft's side. Uttering a rapid apology, Kale minded herself more carefully this time, keeping her head down to avoid the aircraft's eyes but not so far down that she couldn't see where she was going. She eventually made her way to the aircraft's nose. A puff of hot breath ruffled her hair. Kale kept still, knowing that the aircraft was just smelling her, committing her sent to memory. A second puff told Kale the aircraft had gotten what it needed and emboldened, she put her hand out. Those crimson eyes flashed warily but seconds later, Kale felt the rough skin of its nose pressing against her left hand. She rubbed it experimentally, earning herself a weak but throaty purr.

"Oh my..." A quiet voice broke the moment and Kale and the aircraft looked up to see Brian standing there with Emma. Both were staring down at them with shock until Emma's voice broke the silent. "Aww, poor thing. Can I pet her?" She asked. Hiding a sigh, Kale said "Brian, take Lee back to the stables. Then run up to the house and get me all the bandages you can find. Emma, go back into the house and get the phone. Call Greg and come back out." She ordered. "Yes mom." Brian immediately took the reigns on the gelding and began leading him back to the barn beside the house. Emma remained behind. "I want to pet her." She said. "Now isn't a good time sweetheart." Kale replied, working to keep her voice calm as her patience began to stretch thin. "I need you to go into the house now and get Greg on the line." "Yes mom." Sounding a bit sullen, Emma trudged her way back towards the house. Sighing, Kale turned her attention back to the aircraft. By now she was pretty certain it was a female. Her hull was finely toned, with powerful muscles in and around her head and shoulders. She was built to be a bruiser. Kale's biggest and immediate concern was her left side. The poor thing looked like she'd been half roasted in a barbecue as ugly burns marked their way up from her belly. Her wing, what was left of it, was a small stub of twisted, warped metal. Kale could only begin to guess the state of her landing gear. "Alright," She said, giving her nose another pat. "Let's see what we can do."

...

Jim Sevey had only been the local sheriff of Nacogdoches for less than a year. His small station served the city and other parts of the county which shared its name. It was a Saturday and so he wasn't expecting anything big. That's what Fridays were for. "Sir, telephone for you on line 1." said the Receptionist as he walked in. "Thank you Madeline, I'll take it in my office." He replied as he shed his jacket. Hanging it on the coat rack, he went into his office and sat behind his desk. Taking a moment to think about what silly thing might've happened for him to get a call this early, he picked the phone up, pressing the 1 key on the receiver. Maybe it was his wife calling to tell him he'd forgotten his lunch. (wouldn't be the first time) In his best professional voice he said "Nacogdoches Police Department, this is Jim Sevey speaking. How may I help you?" A timid female voice on the other end answered him. "I-I'd like to report a plane crash sir, west county." "A plane crash?" Now this got Sevey's attention. Nacogdoches wasn't a large town, it only had 30,000 residents year round. Its location in the easternmost part of Texas meant that it rarely got large numbers of aircraft. Typically only small, general aviation planes such as Cessna's and Pipers. Perhaps one of those had crashed but why call him? The fire and ambulance departments were better suited to deal with the situation if that was the case. "The plane, was it large? Like a commercial jet?" He asked. "N-no sir. But it wasn't a small plane either." The woman replied. "I see." Now Sevey was very interested. A plane crash in general was a rare occurrence, even more so if it was a commercial one. He was aware that jets were a common sight overhead as airports such as Amarillo and Dallas-Fort Worth were relatively nearby. If one of those had come down on his town... Not pausing to think about the consequences he said "We'll take care of it ma'am, thank you." He hung up and it was a few seconds before he noticed that line 2 was blinking, indicating someone was on that line now as well. He picked it up. "Nacogdoches Police Department, this is Jim Sevey speaking." He said. "Hello sir?" A male's voice this time. "There's a plane that crashed, east county." Sevey straightened up in his seat. Two plane crashes? An even more unusual occurrence but still possible. "What did the plane look like?" He asked now. "Don't know. Only pieces of it came down. I was fishing out on the lake and a large piece hit the water 'bout 50 feet away. Just pieces, nothing like a whole fuselage or anything." "I see, thank you sir." After he hung up, Sevey sighed, rubbing his temples. The report about the pieces was very disturbing. Instead of a mid-air collision which Sevey originally thought it was, he was looking at a mid-air breakup of some kind. Nacogdoches County wasn't the largest in Texas but it was goodly sized in its own right. If these reports were about two pieces from the same plane, the breakup must've occurred very high up, allowing the debris to spread out over a wide area. A feeling of dread came to him. He wasn't sure why but he knew he'd figure it out sooner or later. In the meantime, the mystery was only deepening...


	12. Nacogdoches Columbus: Part 3

Johnathan Greg Dale, known to his friends as Greg, was a mechanic at the local airport. He was familiar with much of the inner workings of little Cessna's and always enjoyed giving them a scolding when they managed to break something "accidentally-on purpose". He was elbow deep in one such plane when his phone went off. The Cessna cheeped half in surprise, half in annoyance. Greg merely patted its cowling before stepping back to answer. "Greg here." He said. He recognized Emma's voice on the other end. He knew Emma through her father and grieved along with the family at the news of his death. He'd always had a soft spot for her mother, Kale, who was his high school sweetheart before she went into the navy. _"Mamma says you need to come right away."_ He could hear the urgency behind the shy little girl's voice and immediately used his calm soothing tone that he reserved just for her. "What's happened over there?" He asked gently. _"There was a plane that crashed in our yard. Jessie was keeping her company until mom arrived and she told me to call you."_ The 6 year old replied. "Good ol' Jessie." He chuckled. The old heffer could always be counted on to look after those in need. _"Can you come? Mamma needs you to come."_ Emma said. "I'll be there as soon as I can little one but can you go outside and tell me what this aircraft looks like so I can bring the right things?" He asked. _"Okay."_ There was the sound of shuffling as the little girl made her way back outside. _"Okay, the aircraft is larger than a Cessna."_ "How much larger?" He asked, hoping it wasn't too big for him to handle. _"Um, she's and mamma says its a she, is just mostly longer than one. She's mainly just taller than a Cessna. About a tall as mamma right now."_ "And is her landing gear up or down?" _"Um, it's up. Yeah, its up. Mamma's trying to coax it down but she's having some trouble."_ "Might be damaged. What are her injuries?" Emma, despite her shyness, was very observant and could be counted on for details. _"Um, it's mostly her left side. She's got some bad bleeding there. Brian's coming with some bandages. Her wing's been snapped off so I think that's where most of the blood is coming from. Mamma's wrapping that now. But she's also,"_ There was a pause as the shy little girl collected herself and Greg could only guess at how disturbing this must all be for the 6 year old. "Take your time sweetie." He said gently. _"Okay, she's got some really bad burns on that same side."_ "Burns on her left side?" Greg asked to clarify. His first thought was a fire that might've brought her down. _"Yeah, they cover a lot of her belly but don't seem to go much higher than that. But I think-I think she might've burned her wing off. The stub that's left looks like, well it looks like cheese when you put it on a hot bun, flattened out. Its mel-mel..."_ She struggled. "Melted." Greg supplied. _"Yeah, mel-ted."_ A feeling of dread came over the mechanic as a suspicion creeped its way through his body. Playing off it, he asked "What do her wings look like? What shape are they?" Emma's response was instantaneous. _"They're curved. At the front where they meet the body, they curve inwards and then out."_ "Are they a Delta Wing?" He asked. _"What's a Delta Wing?"_ Emma replied. "A Delta wing is a distinctive shape of wing. When you put the two together they form a triangle." He explained patiently, remembering that his colleague here was a 6 year old child. _"And the Delta is the triangle?"_ Emma asked. "Yes." He replied. _"Yeah-yes I think it could be a Delta wing. I mean it kinda looks like it a little bit."_ She said. Greg went still at her proclamation. Suspicions confirmed. _"Greg? Greg? Are you there?"_ Emma's terrified voice filled the speaker phone. _"Greg? Do you know what she is?"_ Kale's voice now and hands shaking slightly, Greg moved the phone back up to his mouth. "I can't make a definitive statement until I see her but I'm pretty certain that you have a shuttle on your hands, Kale." He replied. _"Oh, my god..."_ Kale's voice went silent. _"Are you on your way?"_ She asked. "I am." He replied as he gathered his stuff, quickly closing the cowling on the Cessna which nudged him. _"Is that all?"_ Its eyes seemed to say. "Sorry pal but I've got a worse patient to attend to." He replied. "Yes, Kale, I'm on my way." He spoke into the phone now. _"Just please, hurry. She's very weak. And um, Emma wants to pet her. Is that okay?"_ Greg chuckled at this. "As long as she's respectful, I don't see any reason why not. Might do the shuttle some good." Finishing gathering his tools, he hung up and slung his back over his shoulder, practically running out of the hanger.

...

Having gotten Greg's okay, Emma crawled down into the hole beside her mother. "Be gentle now." Kale advised her. "She's hurting." "I will mamma." Keeping her eyes respectfully lowered, Emma gently pressed her hand to the shuttle's nose. The crimson eyes closed and Emma heard the soft purring noise which stifled into a whimper as Kale wrapped bandages around the wounds. With no water, she was forced to use dry rags which really stung. Emma quickly distracted the shuttle by asking her questions. Nothing too complex, just some things that required a yes or no answer. "So are you a shuttle?" She asked. A slight bob. Yes. "Mom, she is a shuttle. She just told me so." Emma passed on. "I suspected as much. She definitely has a high flying look to her." Kale replied, not pausing in her work. "You must've had a crew on board." Emma said. Another nod. "Are they okay like you are?" For a few seconds, the shuttle didn't respond. Then, looking down, she shook her head. "Oh, I'm sorry." Emma was gentle as she stroked her nose. Another purr though this one was weaker than the last. "You have siblings don't you?" Emma would admit she didn't have much knowledge about shuttles but she did know a little bit, absorbing what information the teacher could present to her. "What is your name?" She asked. It wasn't a yes or no question and the shuttle had to think about how to answer it before she came up with an idea. She twisted her head to the side, reaching to her right. After a few seconds she faced Emma again with something in her mouth. Emma held out her hand and a little mission patch was dropped into it. She recognized the astronaut symbol at the top. There was the earth with the sun rising over it. 7 names were inscribed along the edges of the patch, which was shaped like a shuttle. Husband, Brown, Clark, Chawla, Anderson, Ramon, and McCool. At the bottom read STS-107, the mission name. Emma didn't know all that much about the various missions launched by NASA but a vague memory a few weeks old popped up in her mind about her teacher mentioning that STS-107 was the next mission planned by NASA and that Columbia was the shuttle to fly it. "So you're Columbia then?" She asked. A gentle bob confirmed it.


	13. Nacogdoches Columbus: Part 4

Little Emma clutched the STS-107 patch hard in her hand while with her other, she stroked Columbia's nose. Kale was busily trying to stem the flow of blood and oil that was spilling from the shuttle's broken wing. The bandages just weren't up the job. The gash was too big. Kale paused for a moment as she thought of an alternate way to seal the wound. If she didn't think of one fast, Columbia would die. She must've already been severely weakened by blood loss. Biting her lip, she turned to her son standing above. "Brian, go into the shed and get me a welding rod." She ordered. "Mom..." Brian sounded horrified, knowing what his mom was thinking. "It's the only way I can think of to stop this bleeding, now go!" She ordered. Brian raced off. "It is the only way..." She repeated. She hated to do it. God only knew how much pain Columbia was still in from the last round of heating she'd had. Feeling a sense of duty towards the shuttle, she patted her back. "Columbia, the bleeding is too strong for the bandages to stifle. So I'm going to have to cataract the wound. You know what that means?" She said. Columbia regarded her with one eye before grunting an affirmative. "Now I don't know how damaged your nerves already are from reentry but this will hurt regardless." Kale said, taking the welder from her son as he returned. "Don't be afraid to voice your opinion if it hurts too much. Say whatever you please. It's important that you just don't move alright?" Again, another grunt. Kale flipped the visor down on her helmet. "Okay, here we go..." The tip of the welder instantly heated Columbia's skin past 1000 degrees. Without the tiles to protect it, the shuttle's inner aluminum shell didn't stand a chance. It turned to molten liquid, flowing downwards with gravity. It's own heat against other more cold parts of her skin hurt more than the welding itself and the shuttle allowed a brief curse to escape her tightly bound lips. She would not scream. Oh, she wanted to but she would not. She was tough, the pride of the fleet as NASA called her. She would act like it. Still, Kale soothed her with words. Columbia could hear the tightness in her voice and that made her heart twinge. Kale was doing her best. She was trying to save her. She shouldn't be regretting her actions. As soon as Kale was done she backed off, unable to bear touching Columbia for one more second until after she'd composed herself. So the shuttle moved first, doing her best to shift her weight around enough to reach the mother despite the apparent pain it caused her. Kale looked down and she pressed her muzzle to the top of Kale's head. The message clear: _I forgive you._ Swallowing back tears, Kale gently pressed a hand to her neck, running her fingers down the smooth white hull on Columbia's right side.

Then the shuttle stiffened and barked a growl. Kale turned around to see what had caught her attention so suddenly and saw Greg standing there, clearly stunned. "Greg, this is Columbia." Kale said. "Columbia, relax he's friendly." She told the shuttle who was still tense. Columbia relaxed slightly, her eyes still warily eyeing the technician. "I patched up her side." Kale explained, gesturing to the fresh solder mark. "But if we're gonna get her out of this hole we need to get her gear down." Greg nodded. "Have you tried coaxing it?" He asked. "No joy. She's keeping it tightly locked. The lowering mechanism might be damaged, I dunno." She replied. "Alright." He held out a hand for Columbia to sniff. The shuttle bobbed her head when she felt satisfied, turning her attention back to Emma who was waiting for her with more nose pets and head scratches. As Emma distracted her, Kale got down on her belly and crawled underneath the shuttle's exposed belly. The burn marks from the last reentry were quite clear. Locating the main landing gear doors she gave the left one a gentle rap. The door opened, and good God what it reveled.

The wheels had burst inside the well, leaving a series of ugly rubber marks everywhere. One piece had broken part of the strut above before winding itself around the other part. Kale hissed a breath through her teeth. The extent of the damage was difficult to see but she already knew that the damage done was non-survivable. Aircraft need their landing gear for ground operations. Without it, they can't move along a runway to get into the air. Or come down to land. So if anything went wrong there, they would be humanely put down. Columbia was no exception and the damage was... well it'd be a wonder if the shuttle could even stand on it without it buckling much less climb out of this hole. "What'd you got?" Greg asked he leaned down to see for himself. "Good god..." He breathed. "Help me get it down." Kale ordered. "Kale, damage like that..." "I know!" She growled. "Help. Me. Get. It. Down!" Deciding it wisest for his health not to argue he crawled in beside her and reaching up into the well, got his hands around the collection of shock absorbers just above the wheel. He pulled down. Columbia groaned but didn't dare move while the two were under her belly. One wrong move could crush them. After a few minutes of struggling they got it down. "Broken hock, fet, strained shock aborbers and her ground line is shot. Her tires are not even there anymore. Just the wells. There's no way she can stand on that." Greg said. "What if we braced it?" Kale asked. "Put some boards along either side and lashed them together. And we could attach some foam beneath her wells too. Wouldn't be much but it'd at least keep them off the ground." "That might work. Brian, fetch those materials for me!" Greg ordered. Brian once again became the retriever, collecting what was needed. "Need anything else?" He asked, once he'd returned. He'd been surprisingly quiet throughout this whole thing and Greg knew how shocked he must be at all this. "Yes, I want you to call NASA. The Johnston Research Center's about an hour away in Houston. That's our best bet." He said. Once Brian had left for the house, Kale said "They'll put her down. It's a death sentence." "I would too Kale and so would you. The damage to the gear alone, never mind her wing... Kale, even if she could heal she'd never fly again. I don't even think she could taxi. She'd spend the rest of her days locked in a hanger somewhere and what kind of a life is that?" "I know I know." Kale growled, fuming. Greg put a hand on her shoulder. "Kale, if it were within my power, I'd save her." Little Emma had listened to all this, the adults seeming to forget she was there. Tears streamed from her eyes and she dropped her hands off Columbia's nose. The shuttle nudged her. She too had heard the conversation, understanding every word. She might not speak their language but she understood it all the same. She was going to die. She could accept that since the alternatives were not pretty. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life locked away like Enterprise. She wanted to die free, under an open sky. Emma whimpered and Columbia nudged her again. The little girl wrapped her arms around her and buried her face against her side, hair tickling her nose. Columbia breathed a sigh, minding her weight carefully. She'd only known the little girl a short time but the two had forged a bond. The shuttle knew she was hurting, the whole family was hurting. She didn't claim to know why but she had it within her to help make the pain go away. Even as her own impending fate added to it, she could try to lessen the blow as much as she could. And so, that is what she would do.


	14. Nacogdoches Columbus: Part 5

Greg was gentle as he placed the thick boards on either side of Columbia's shock struts, making sure both were in alignment before he started to tie the boards together. Columbia hissed at this, grinding her teeth together. Once the boards were in place he had to make sure the broken struts didn't shift out of alignment. As they were now, they were perfect. He took a piece of cardboard and folded it around the break, then lashed it together with rope. This time, Columbia did scream. A harsh wail issuing from her parted jaws. She struggled a bit but Emma and Kale were quick to sooth her. Spirts of blood appeared as Greg tied the rope ensuring it would be nice and tight. The foam was slid under her wells and tied in place in a configuration much like a sandal. Columbia gave a groan as she leaned on her right side. Greg got her right main gear down with little trouble, a quick check finding it in perfect order. Kale's check of the nose gear determined the same thing. "All good here." She said. "Alright, let's get her on her wheels." Greg said. Brian climbed down into the hole to help and the four of them helped Columbia upright. Kale and Greg stood on her left side, helping to support her weight there while Brian fashioned a bridle and lead rope to put over Columbia's head. He and Emma gave it a tug to coax Columbia forward. The shuttle balked for a second but got the hint on the second tug and started to move. Columbia tried to put some weight on her injured left gear but quickly favored it. She gazed up at the hill she had to climb. It wasn't much, 4 feet, but with her injury she may as well be climbing Mt. Everest. "You're gonna have to put some weight on it girl, I can't take all of it for ya." Greg said. Columbia whimpered once before steeling herself, crimson eyes narrowing. She put her nose gear to the hill and put all her weight into it. The struts bent and creaked under her massive weight but she still tried, gaining about a foot with that action. Greg kept a close eye on her left gear, seeing how it seemed to bleed more as she climbed, being forced to put more weight on it. Greg looked up, seeing they were close to the top now. "Not much farther, come on girl. One more stride you can do it!" It was pure agony. It hurt unlike anything Columbia had ever experienced but at last, with one final try, she was at the top.

Greg immediately began checking her main gear, relieved to see nothing had shifted out of place. "Good girl." He said, giving her side a pat as he stood. Columbia offered a tired sigh in reply. Columbia's head snapped around at the sound of an approaching car. "That would be NASA." Brian said. "They were already out looking for her when I called." The boy went up to the gate to let them in. Columbia straightened as she saw them, offering an excited bark. One man broke away from the ranks and charged down the field, embracing her. Columbia happily covered him with licks. "Bob Crippon." He offered to Greg. "An honor to meet you sir." Greg replied. "You a technician?" He asked. "Yes." "Care to fill me in on the damage? Easy there with the licks darling." He told Columbia. The shuttle merely offered a gentle coo and licked him right across the face. "Yuck, Columbia!" He complained. Even Greg couldn't quite hide his snicker. Columbia barked a laugh. "Her left wing's completely gone. Must've been a hole in it and it burned right through on reentry. As a result, her left gear's pretty shot up. Her hock and fet are broken. Tires are shredded. Must've blown inside the wheel well. I put a brace on it but even climbing out of this hole I could see that she didn't trust it to hold much of her weight." It was visible to everyone how much Columbia was leaning to the right, favoring her left gear. Several times she actually lifted it off the ground entirely, attempting to tuck it under herself but she couldn't balance without it on the ground. Crippon sighed, flinching as he heard one of the other officials cock his weapon. "You're not gonna shoot her!" Kale cried. "I'm sorry ma'am. But shuttle's don't react to the anesthesia necessary to put them down. A bullet to the brain's the only way." "But not on my property!" This gave everyone pause. "You will not be shooting this shuttle on my property! I forbid it!" They had no choice to respect that wish. The official lowered his weapon, removing the rounds. "Then what ma'am do you propose we do?" "Take her home. Back to Kennedy I mean. Killing her here isn't fair. Let her die in her own hanger where she feels safe." Everyone looked at one another before finally a decision was made. After all, it was only fair Columbia finish her mission and return home.


	15. Who Gave the Shuttles Caffeine! Part 1

_After the sadness of_ Nacogdoches Columbus _I figured something humorous might lift the spirits. So here's something from the shuttle's early days. Not related to said story._

 _..._

Barbara Jones felt that her morning couldn't be any worse. She'd spent the night at the cottage and when she came downstairs she found her coffee had mysteriously disappeared. And not just her cup but the whole pot! And clearly no one had been out shopping either so there was no more coffee to make. It was a cruel prank her bunk mates were playing on her and she would get back at them. Sighing, she settled for making some tea instead. It wouldn't give her the good wake up call that coffee provided but it would at least keep her from falling asleep where she stood.

As the pot warmed on the stove, a commotion outside drew her attention. She stepped outside to find the oddest sight she'd ever seen. All four of Kennedy's permanent residents were engaged in various kinds of horseplay. Columbia was rolling in the sand. Challenger was bouncing a kickball against the wall of the house. Discovery was dragging the trashcan around, the rattling of which was what drew Barbara's attention in the first place. And Atlantis was busily chasing her own tail. All seemed to be in some kind of hyperactive state and the human had to stifle her groan. Her morning had just gotten a whole lot worse.


	16. Who Gave the Shuttles Caffeine! Part 2

Barbara's sluggish mind caught up with her after a minute of staring.

"What. The actual _fuck!_ Is going on here?!" She cried.

Of course none of the shuttles answered her, too distracted by their various activities. Challenger bounced the ball a little too hard and it flew over her head, rolling past the front porch. She raced after it, passing in front of Barbara, snatching the item off the sand before it could roll into the surf.

"Challie!" She called.

The shuttle had the good sense to turn around and trot back to her, head held high.

"Drop it." Barbara ordered.

Challenger shot her a confused look and Barbara resisted the urge to smack her nose. The smart shuttle knew exactly what she meant but she elaborated anyways.

"The ball." She ordered. "Drop. It." She made clear emphasis by pointing her finger down.

Challenger whimpered but spat the ball out on the sand where it rolled to Barbara's feet. Its orange surface was covered in a pasty white substance and Barbara hid her grimace as she picked up the drool laden item. Challenger eyed it longingly, wagging her tail as Barbara held it aloft.

Barbara raised an eyebrow. "Oh you want it?" She asked.

Challenger barked excitedly and started bouncing, still waggling her tail. Barbara rolled her eyes at her antics and chucked it as far down the beach as she could. Challenger took off after it, wheels nearly leaving the ground with her speed. Sighing, Barbara turned her attention to the remaining shuttles.

Discovery was now playing kick the can with the trash lid. Each time the lid rattled to the ground she would leap back as though frightened though her silly giggles said otherwise, then charge back and hit it again. Atlantis had given up chasing her tail as a source of entertainment and had taken off after Challenger. Columbia was the closest, still scratching her back in the soft sand.

Ignoring how cute that looked for the moment, Barbara approached her. "What's gotten into you?" She asked.

Columbia responded with a series of fast paced, high pitched growls. Barbara was still learning Space Shuttle but through the garbledness she managed to hear "We smelled something burning in the kitchen while you were still asleep and went to investigate. Challie found a pot of liquid and tried it. She liked it so she made us all some."

Barbara faced palmed. At least now she knew the coffee hadn't disappeared because of her bunkmate's warped sense of humor. This coffee was made to Navy standards, meaning it was much stronger than the average kind. Assuming that each shuttle had a full pot, it could be hours before the caffeine wore off.


	17. Who Gave the Shuttles Caffeine! Part 3

A nudge behind her made Barbara turn. Challie set the ball at her feet, waggling her tail eagerly. The poor item had the life chewed out of it, now nothing more than a flat piece of rubber.

"I think this ball's seen its day girl." She said, rubbing Challenger's nose.

Atlantis raced up alongside and eagerly thrust her own nose out. If Challenger was getting her nose pet so would she. Barbara laughed and gave them both a good pet.

"Think you two can find a new ball somewhere?" She asked.

Challenger barked an affirmative and raced off towards the hangers to find a more shuttle-friendly ball to play with. Atlantis chased after her and the two engaged in play the whole way back.

Shaking her head in amusement, Barbara turned back to Columbia in time to get a face full of dirt that the shuttle threw at her. Columbia barked a laugh as Barbara spat the hard soil out.

"Okay, you're on." She growled.

Columbia squealed and took off running down the beach with Barbara giving chase and the two alternated, occasionally with Columbia chasing her. Barbara knew she could never outrun the shuttle but as long as she was happy. And anything to help levitate the caffeine.


	18. Who Gave the Shuttles Caffeine! Part 4

On the dune above, Challenger gave a bark and raced down with Atlantis on her tail. Both had their playtoys in their mouths. Challenger set hers down and Barbara gladly chucked it down shore. Challenger and Atlantis both took off after it with the latter dropping her ball halfway down.

Still on the dune above, Discovery was happily playing with the trash lid. Tossing it in the air she leaped up to grab it but she went too far and with the lid in her mouth, rolled down the dune and onto the beach. She yelped and the lid left her grasp. The second eldest shuttle rolled over on her back as the lid slid down into the surf. She whined as the powerful Atlantic began to take it away.

Columbia broke off the chase with Barbara and leaped into the surf, swimming strongly after the lid.

"Columbia no!" Barbara cried.

She wasn't worried about the shuttle's swimming abilities. Columbia was the best swimmer in the fleet but going into the water would make it harder to keep track of her.

Beyond the breakers, Columbia took a breath and dove, determined to get the lid before it sunk to the bottom. She grabbed it 20 feet down and immediately kicked for the surface. The water was extremely cold as this time of year, the Gulf Stream was out away from the coast. Stifling her shudders for now, Columbia swam for the breakers, using them to body surf her way back to the beach.

Barbara was waiting for her when she climbed out, followed closely by Discovery. The younger shuttle immediately leaped on her elder sister, covering her face with grateful licks. Columbia rumbled a purr in reply, pressing her nose to Discovery's side. And then, she shook herself, the trash lid rattling in her jaws. Soon, Discovery and Barbara were just as soaked as the eldest shuttle but the human merely wiped the brine from her eyes, threw her head back, and laughed.


	19. Who Gave the Shuttles Caffeine! Part 5

After Columbia's jaunt all the shuttles decided they wanted to go for a swim so Barbara took off her shirt and pants, bra and undies acting as a makeshift bikini and supervised from the edge of the breakers. Atlantis and Challenger were continuing their ball game from before, tossing it back and forth between the breakers. Discovery was off with Columbia, the two taking turns body surfing the biggest waves in or just jumping over the smaller ones. Barbara couldn't help but laugh when Columbia leaped over one only to have another strike her right in the face. Spitting seawater she glared at the human who gulped, not liking the naughty look in the shuttle's eyes. The next thing Barbara knew, she was flying through the air, being caught by Discovery just before she hit the water.

"You know better!" She scolded the third orbiter and splashed water in her eyes.

A splash fight was now inevitable and shrieks of human laughter mixed with playful shuttle growls filled the morning air.

After several hours, the caffeine began to wear off and the now exhausted shuttles made their way back to the hanger. Barbara was pretty tuckered out as well and hitched a ride on Columbia, riding her like a horse with her feet resting against her wing roots.

Scobee was waiting for them all at the hangers. "Well, well, well!" He laughed. "Looks like you had fun." Both Discovery and Atlantis passed by him without a word, heads down and tongues lolling. Discovery was still carrying her trash can lid and Atlantis had their ball. Challenger nosed him. "Oh, hey sweetie." Challenger gave her man a soft bark and another nudge which earned her a sugar mice before she headed off to her hanger. Columbia halted in front of him allowing Barbara to dismount. She was gentle as she stepped down off her left wing and onto the ground.

"Dick, word of advice." She said, giving the flagship a grateful pat before turning to her colleague. Columbia blew hot air on the back of her head.

"Yes Barbara?" Scobee crossed his arms, shooting her an amused look. So he was behind the shuttle's caffeine rush. The little _shit!_

"Don't ever, _ever_ give the shuttles caffeine again!" Barbara's indignation only grew as he just laughed. Columbia was amused too and Barbara heard the soft chuffing sound that had come to be recognized as a shuttle's laughter.

"Why you-you were in this together weren't you?!" She growled, turning back to glare at the fleet's leader.

Columbia crimson eyes sparkled and she tossed her head as if to say innocently _"Who, me?!"_

"You are in a lot of trouble Missy." Barbara scolded, poking her in the nose.

Columbia backed up a bit, going cross eyed as she looked down at the human's finger on her nose then curled her lip. Barbara thought she'd pushed too far but instead of biting her, Columbia tossed her head up and when it came back down she gave the loudest sneeze the human had ever heard. Barbara was covered in shuttle snot.

"Ugh!" She groaned.

Behind her, Dick had collapsed to the ground he was laughing so hard. "S-say it, don't spray it Columbia." He choked out between laughs.

All Columbia could offer was a sheepish grin and try as she might, Barbara just couldn't stay mad at her. The laughter was infectious anyways...


	20. Nacogdoches Columbus: Part 6

It took them all a while to coax Columbia into the van but once she was inside, it was a simple matter of who was going to ride where. Kale had already chosen to come with and Greg, due to his veterinary experience, was asked to come along so he could take care of Columbia during the 16 hour drive to the KSC. Emma sat with Greg in the backseat of the pickup while Brian climbed up in front with Crippen who was driving. He pounded the veteran with questions about his time at NASA. "Brian, don't pester the man!" Kale scolded. "Oh, he's okay." Crippen offered her a gentle smile, one that failed to hide the pain in his eyes. Brian's questions were a much needed distraction from the reality of the situation and Kale nodded in understanding. "Just mind yourself." She told her son. "Yes mom!" She sighed and sat in the trailer with Columbia. The shuttle seemed taken with her for some reason, refusing to let the woman out of her sight. The trailer was large but that didn't mean it was comfortable. After the third jostle Kale gave up trying to find any nice position but Columbia wasn't as willing to quit. She grabbed Kale's sleeve and tugged her into her side, just forward of her burns. Kale was gentle as she settled there, marveling at the smoothness of the white skin compared to the rougher black.

"I thought I'd seen my fair share of death." She began. "I was a navy test pilot and certified diver. So I was on a lot of special ops missions during the Gulf War. Lost quite a few friends. Then I met my husband, Jim. He was, one of those classic Texans I suppose you could say. Talked with a drawl, wore a hat, belt, and boots all the time. Had a rusty old pickup that barely ran. But he was, so kind and sweet I couldn't help but be taken with him. I had Brian in the spring of '96, Emma a year later and we were, happy. Then 9/11 happened." She sighed. "Jim, he'd always admired my service to my country and had always wanted to join himself. You could be under 24 and enlist and he was just shy of 24 that winter. He was shipped off to Iraq the following year and was, killed in a training accident. He never met the enemy face to face. I wish he did. He would've given the Taliban what for. It's just the kind of guy he was. This was just, a few months ago. He was a good friend of Rick, your commander. Rick was our best man at our wedding." It wasn't until she said it that Kale understood the profound connection she had to Columbia. Was it coincidence the shuttle had landed in her backyard. She thought not. Kale could hardly consider herself a religious person but she never did believe in coincidence and acknowledged such instances as the work of a higher power. "Emma was too young to understand at the time. And it was only recently that Brian got back to being his old self again." She looked up front, seeing her two children through the back windows of the truck. Emma was fast asleep on Greg's lap and Brian was still talking away in the front seat. "I just, hoped I could spare them seeing what I've seen. Death is, never pretty." Kale paused in her stroking to wipe the tears from her eyes. Columbia whimpered, nose pressing against her leg. Kale forced a smile as she looked down at her. "You're a good girl." She said. "You're a good girl." Her voice broke as sobs overcame her. She wrapped her arms around Columbia's nose gear, burying her face in the smooth black skin there. She felt Columbia's nose press against the back of her neck, each exhale creating a warm soothing blanket around the human. A blanket that soothed her wounds like a salve and eased her throbbing heart.

Columbia was not blind to the woman's pain. She'd been aware of it since she first saw her just as she was aware of her own fate. She hated to leave her like this. With wounds still fresh and sore, just only beginning to scab over and with the new ones from her own death sure to come. But she'd done what she needed to. She'd soothed the existing wounds as best she could, allowing the healing process to begin. _"Mission accomplished."_ She thought to herself. Her last conscious thought before drifting off. It would be another 15 hours before they reached Florida, she may as well take a nap in the meantime.

Kale heard the shuttle's snores and chuckled. Normally awed by the shuttle's powerful jaws and bulging muscles, she was brought down by how _adorable_ Columbia looked asleep. Her snores weren't loud, they were more like soft snorts and every so often some control surface, typically an alevon or her rudder would twitch. Kale could only guess what she was dreaming about. But the shuttle was warm and surprisingly comfortable to lie against. As she stretched out, using the shuttle's cheek as a pillow, Kale's mind wondered. Her cry had soothed an ache in her heart she had forgotten was there with Columbia somehow being able to do what hours of therapy and work could not do. She remembered something her flight instructor had once told her when she was first starting out as a test pilot and had innocently asked about the Space Shuttle. _"If you are hurting, the orbiter will sense that and try to help. Even if you do not realize you are hurt."_ Kale had assumed he was referring to a physical injury and inwardly wondered how someone would not notice they were injured out in space. But she had assumed wrong. The wounds her late husband had left in her heart that had stubbornly refused to go away _until_ Columbia had appeared in her life. They weren't gone yet, but the scabs over them were stronger now and the pain she felt for the shuttle's own passing would be tempered by the knowledge that she would not wish to see her work come undone. Kale would grieve, yes and that grief would be just as strong if not stronger than what she felt for Jim. But it would leave no marks behind because that's what Columbia would want. It would be hard, but Kale would do it. For her children, for Greg, for Columbia.


	21. Quotes

"We were never allowed to speak to newspapers." Major Maquios grumbled. The Russian was struggling with his thick orange gloves. He was the outsider here at the Cape, considering it was his failing satellite that they were going to rescue!

Outside, reporters clambered to catch a glimpse of the six man crew as they prepared for their historic mission. Columbia held them at bay but her ears were tuned to the conversations inside and she had very good hearing.

 _"Ah, it's nothing to worry about Major."_ She said cheerfully over the commlink. _"I've done it a hundred times. All they're looking for is a quote."_

 _"But what should I say?"_ Maquois asked as he finally managed to pull on his right glove.

 _"Well, if they ask you how you feel, say you're excited to be part of the team."_ She replied, shooting a glare at one overeager reporter who tried to slip past her. _"If its about the mission, you have every confidence it's gonna be a success. Your wife's behind you a hundred and ten percent."_ She smirked as the reporter backed off. _"You pray the Good Lord's looking after ya and you're proud to be an American."_

 _"But, I am Russian."_ The Major protested.

Columbia knew that but in the light of the recently ended Cold War, she couldn't resist a little ribbing for old times' sake. _"Da."_ She smirked.

Of course the commander had to ruin her fun. _"Columbia, is that you?"_ Bull growled. _"Quit harassing the major and keep those reporters back!"_


	22. Metal and Bone: For Challenger

p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"He still remembered that day. He saw it sometimes in his dreams or was it nightmares. Sometimes they were bad enough to interrupt his sleep altogether. Like it had just a few days ago. Had it really been only a few days? It felt like weeks, months even! The pressures of this mission, the media, the risks, the importance of getting it right first time had wore at him. He hadn't felt the weight of commander this heavily since the Gulf. That responsibility made him think, look back. And thinking always took his mind back to that day, the day that was seared forever into the memory of every American who saw it. But most especially those at the Cape, who were hit hardest of all./p  
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"It was like being taken through a time capsule as he looked out to that lonely pad in the distance. The pad that She had launched from, that his friends had launched from in a hail of ice and fire. The warm summers day became cold and blustery and Bull shivered as he remembered the cold. The ice. That deadly ice... And then fire, a ball of flame that glowed as bright as the sun and then a thousand meteors like a firework flying out in all directions. No assembly, there was no clarity to it, no order, just chaos. During and after and the Cape, nay the world had never been the same since. The fire, he remembered the fire best. Watching as his best friend and She who he loved along with six others were taken from him in an instant. Fire became ash, ash to dust, dust to earth. A cycle, one that every man was destined to go through. /p  
p style="color: #2c3635; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;"The fire around him dimmed as a spot of ice touched the small of his back. Its shocking cold jolted him out of the past, forcing him to return to the present. Startled at this sudden change, he whirled around and found himself staring straight into the crimson eyes of Columbia. The fleet leader's gaze was soft, sympathetic even. She must've known what he'd been thinking about. She always knew. Bull swore she could read his mind sometimes. Her nose was level with his chin although she was perfectly capable of holding it higher. Slowly, as if in a trance as he could not bring himself to look away from those crimson eyes, eyes so much like his own at the moment. Bull raised his hand, resting it over the top of her nose, his ring and middle fingers resting over the black band. She lowered her head slightly so her nose was more level with his chest and their eyes were even. br /br /"I can barely see it from here, the burial sight." He began. He wasn't sure why he was telling her this. Bearing his soul to a creature that wasn't even human. But Columbia's eyes appeared to carry the same pain that no doubt shown in his. They were an echo of each other and perhaps it was time, to release the pain. He sighed. "No flesh and blood, just metal and bone." br /br /The pain in Columbia's eyes grew more pronounced and he knew she was reliving that day just as he did. It was known that all the shuttles went ballistic when Challenger died. But what wasn't known was how Columbia demolished two entire launch pads. How she lifted off and landed 5 times in an hour as she struggled with her own measly engines to reach the spot where her sister had fallen before giving up and instead taking laps around the property to vent her frustration. How she eventually collapsed under exhaustion, bleeding from the nose and how Bull found her near the south gate and stayed by her side for emdays /emuntil she was well enough to return to the hangers. The experience affected both of them profoundly, it brought them closer. Bull discovered quickly afterwards how much easier it was to read Columbia and Columbia likewise learned some of the intricacies of Bull's behavior, intricacies that even his wife Ellen did not know. They couldn't hide things from one another, not anymore. br /br /Bull ran his hand down the side of her face, tracing the line where white melded with black. There was no hesitation, not with them. "10 years since the accident." He said. "They were my friends. We trained together, competed with each other." He reached back to touch the distinctive spiral that marked both cheeks. The one he touched was on the right side. He traced that now, first the white then the black. "We were taught it was worth the risks. It's what I teach my trainees." He looked her in the eye, a rare privilege for any human. There had been more that had that honor back in the day, but Bull was the only one to have it now. The others had lost it after Challenger. "But this mission... those people, and your sister gave their lives accepting the risks. They'd expect me to do the same. Expect Atlantis to do the same." br /br /Columbia rolled forward, closing what little distance remained between them. Her head dropped some more so her muzzle rested gently in his arms. Bull lowered his head, feeling the cool touch of her skin against his hair. Each breath they took in sync. Bull's eyes closed and he felt it when Columbia's did as well. Bull was a creature of flesh and blood. Columbia of tungsten and steel. A machine, but she was just as alive as he. And she had a soul. Her bones were made of metal, her flesh of glass and steel. Metal and bone. br /br /One could almost describe the moment as magical, when human and machine became as close to one being as the laws of earth would allow. No words were exchanged, none were needed. Even as grateful as Bull was for Columbia's quiet presence, for ability to simply stand and listen, to understand, he knew that she knew. And that was all that mattered./p 


	23. Cow Tipping

The predator snickered to herself as she slipped silently through the tall grass on the way to her target. She'd been waiting weeks for this chance. Her belly pressed against the soft earth, mud gently oozing into open spaces between her back legs. It didn't faze her in the slightest. She crept forward, all but invisible to her prey. Then, she pounced! Her prey remained unaware of her presence, even as she knocked each one on its side one by one until all were lying peacefully upon the ground.

*Knock knock* "Columbia!"

Columbia groaned, rolling to her belly after lying rather comfortably on her back. "Ugh, what is it?" She asked, recognizing the scent of Zeke.

"Briefing in 15 minutes, remember?" The trainee sounded a bit out of his element and nervous if Columbia was being honest. She wasn't surprised. She liked her beauty sleep and horror stories had been passed down through the ranks to the unlucky few who woke her to find she was in a particularly bad mood. Most were complete cattle dung! But a select few did have some basis in reality... Either way, she wasn't grouchy enough to let Zeke have it though she did give him a Look a she passed. "There better be coffee waiting for me when I get there or I'm gonna start looking for someone's ass to chew on." She grumbled. The threat was empty, she hadn't bitten anyone's ass since Challenger but Zeke didn't know that. And even if he did well, she always got her coffee.

15 minutes later found her sitting pretty on the tarmac while she listened to Bull lecture. She wasn't sure why she was needed at this briefing, it's not like anything that was being said had anything to do with her...

"And lastly," Bull began. "T-38 flight requirements."

Columbia tilted her head to the side. Flight requirements, what about them?

"Farmers have been complaining of jet aircraft buzzing their cattle." Bull continued. Oh, oh! But how could he know?! Columbia was careful to hide any evidence of her activities. "May I remind you that we do not buzz cattle nor tip them over at night." There were snickers and Columbia ducked her head sheepishly. "Dismissed."

The group filed out and Bull made his way over to the shuttle as she turned to go. "Columbia, a moment please." He asked.

She paused and turned to face him, keeping her head held high. "Yes commander?"

"Don't act innocent, Columbia. It doesn't suit you." Bull rolled his eyes.

The shuttle said nothing and he sighed, leaning forward. "I know it was you." He added in a whisper. Still, Columbia said nothing in reply. He sighed again. "Fine." He relented. "Just don't let the farmers find out."

She grinned, relaxing. "Thank you commander." She said and bounded off, practically skipping over the tarmac.


	24. An Act of Kindness

Sometimes Columbia really hated politics. Just when the mission was going so good too, Atlantis had it all under control in then the Soviets had to through one last curve ball. Ah, she means Russians. The curve ball being an old satellite capsule from the 60s. And now, as she listened to everyone argue about what was the best way for her sister to bring this capsule back, her frustration hit its peak.

"Why do we have to do _anything_?" She asked, slamming her cargo arm down on the table for emphasis. Everyone stopped talking at once and looked at her. "What purpose does it serve? There's no lives at risk here, no mission jeopardized. Why don't we just leave 'em where we found 'em?"

"Because eventually the capsule's gonna fall from orbit." Endeavor replied. "They'll burn up on reentry."

"Who cares? They're dead anyway!" Columbia retorted. "I mean I know its a nasty situation but its not one of our making."

 _"It's international cooperation, Columbia."_ Atlantis interrupted over the comlink.

"Let me tell you something about international cooperation, little sis." Columbia growled.

"Oh lord, here we go." Discovery muttered.

"The Russians, they routinely withhold from us important mission data. They make these last minute changes in the Space Station design that cost _us_ hundreds of millions of dollars!" Columbia began.

Discovery was nodding in agreement while Endeavor looked confused. She was born after the Cold War and so didn't understand the rivalry that existed between the two nations. A rivalry that Columbia was always keen to bring up at the first opportunity. But even she had to admit her elder sister had a point.

"And most of their technology is substandard to begin with!" Columbia fumed.

 _"I've got a cosmonaut here who'd disagree with you, Columbia."_ Atlantis said.

"She has a point though Atlantis." Discovery jumped in. "Why should we help the Russians with this? It's their problem, their mess, they should clean it up for once!"

 _"Have you forgotten why we're here?"_

"Uh, to show off American pride and let the Russians know who's superior?" Discovery tried.

 _"No, that's what Columbia thinks."_ Atlantis said and said sister shot a glare bafully skywards.

"I can be cooperative, sometimes, for certain people." She pouted.

 _"Then cooperate with me on this, sister."_ Atlantis begged. _"Since the end of the Cold War our entire program has been committed to promoting international cooperation not just with our allies like Japan, the UK, and Germany but with former adversaries as well. We are_ meant _to achieve and maintain the peace for all nations, not just our own. And we can't do that if we can't let go of our past grudges and practice our random acts of kindness every now and then!"_

All the shuttles were moved by their sisters' speech. Endeavor was the first to speak up. "Here here!" She grinned.

Discovery rolled her eyes. "Is that really the best you can do?" She asked, chuckling at Endeavor's sheepish grin. "Ah well, I'm in. What'd ya have in mind Atlantis?"

 _"You know that satillite booster I've still got riding in my cargo bay?"_ She asked.

Columbia was the first to understand, being a bit more engineering savvy than her sisters. "You want to strap it on the Soyaz." She said.

 _"They wanted to go to the moon, let's help them get there."_ Atlantis replied.

Columbia's eyes swam with tears at the sentiment although she would venomously deny such claims afterwards. "Aye, I think I can go with that." She managed.


	25. Shuttle Baseball

It was Bull's idea originally. After a long and unusually stressful year it was good to have an opportunity to relax and have a good game of baseball only, this wasn't regular baseball. Shuttle baseball, was, as a general rule, not played by humans. It was faster, it was harder, and people were just a bit too squishy to be playing it. Not that it stopped the astronauts from trying.

To even the odds a bit the teams were mixed. Columbia and Atlantis were on the Blue team. Discovery and Endeavor on the Red. Currently, the score was tied, with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th inning. Bull was at the pitchers mound but stepped back when Discovery came to the plate. Only a shuttle could hope to match the reflexes of another shuttle.

The first throw went wide and Discovery didn't bother to swing. "What was that, Collie?" She asked.

"You wanna play with the big boys right?" Columbia replied.

"Don't let her intimidate you, Discovery." Endeavor called.

"You've got it next sweethearrt." Reggie said.

"Bring it on, cupcake!"

Columbia chuckled, winding up for another throw.

"Never laugh at a women with a large bat." Discovery said, swinging it back.

"Gotta know how to use it first." replied the catcher behind her and she stifled a snort

"Come on people are we playing ball or what?!" Bull called, starting to pace. In a quieter voice he added "Man I hate playing with girls!"

"I love playing with girls." Jack muttered to Atlantis who giggled.

"Watch your line Bull, she likes to pull it. Watch your line. Get deeper in the hole. Deeper! Deeper! There you go." Columbia ordered.

"Don't even try it pal." Jack muttered to Zek who was shifting on his base.

"Zig zag says I make it." Zek said.

"Make it a case and you're on." Atlantis replied as she moved farther outfield to be ready for her sister's ball.

Columbia threw a perfect curveball and Discovery swung fast. As expected, the ball landed close to Atlantis but not close enough for her to grab. She quickly scooped it up and tossed it nicely to Jonas.

"Watch your base!" Bull shouted and Jonas threw it to Jack who couldn't quite get it in time. Zek was off and running!

"Aww man!" The catcher fumed.

Zek passed third as the ball was passed to Bull who threw it impressively but not impressively enough. Zek crossed the home plate just as the ball hit home.

"Safe! He's safe!" The umpire shouted!

"No way, see!" The catcher protested, holding up the ball as proof. His foot was pressed firmly on the plate.

"Nope, he got there first!"

"Aww man!"

"What happened." Columbia asked.

"You missed the ball!" Bull replied.

"What do you mean I missed the ball? It went over my head, you were supposed to be behind me." She protested.

"Man I love team sports." Jack said as Atlantis picked him up with her cargo arm and set him down gently on her back.

"Columbia you need to make up your mind. You want me to play the line or to back you up." Bull said.

"I said I wanted you to play the hole, not the damn parking lot!" She replied. "You're still supposed to back me up..."

"Columbia, you missed the ball." Bull said simply. "Live with it!"

"Live with it, right." She huffed.


	26. Elana

Atlantis listened to her sister's argue. 50 feet below her, Columbia, Discovery, and Endeavour were engaged in a heated debated over the upcoming hurricane.

"Well, she blew in out of nowhere. What are they calling her?" Columbia asked. "Elana. 50 miles off Cuba and headed straight for us." Discovery replied. "What's the weather service saying?" Endeavour wondered. "She's supposed to turn before she reaches the perimeter." "NHS..." "I don't care what the math models day." Columbia grumbled. "I can't see anything out there that's gonna cause her to turn. She's already doing 15 knots. And if she picks up any speed at all..." "36 hours to get Atlantis off the pad and back into the VAB. It's cutting it close girls." Endeavour said. "A million dollars every day she's off the pad." Discovery sighed. "2 billion if she's out here and Elana runs her over." Columbia shot back. "Do I get a say in this?" Atlantis interrupted. All three turned to her, heads tilted back. "Do you want a say in this?" Discovery asked, ignoring Columbia's glare. "I don't like this. I don't like this one bit." Endeavour grumbled. Columbia sighed. As fleet leader, the decision came down to her. "Roll her back." She decided. There were groans from Discovery and Atlantis, who really didn't want to go back inside after having just come outside. But neither had much of a choice. Hurricane Elana was coming to Kennedy and they had to get out of its way!

Nightfall found Atlantis in the VAB. The shuttle was on her own. Her sisters had remained as long as they could but in the end they were ordered into the Emergency Operations Center along with the remaining ground staff. They kept in constant contact with their sister so they were the first to learn what Atlantis had to tell them. _"The Moonshot has broken clear of the dock. Its drifting out with the tide."_ She said. "Anyone inside?" Columbia asked. _"A few ASCANS and Sweets. He refused the evacuation order."_ Atlantis replied. _"Why am I not surprised."_ Discovery sighed, shamelessly butting in. Columbia groaned. "Well, looks like we're sneaking out again." She said. _"Just be careful Columbia."_ Atlantis warned. "When am I not careful." Columbia grinned.

It was easier than one might think for the three shuttles to slip out undetected. Once outside, the trio were hit by the full force of the hurricane. Rain driven by the 120 mph winds struck their sides with all the force of a breaking branch. "Hot damn, why'd we come to Florida anyways?" Discovery grumbled. "For the sun, sand, and pretty babes." Endeavour giggled. Discovery just snorted. Columbia rolled her eyes. "Lock it up you two. We have a mission to complete." "Sure would be nice if Atlantis was with us." Endeavour said. "We could use her brains." "Are you saying I don't have brains of my own, Lieutenant Endeavour?" Columbia asked. "Uh, no ma'am. Of course not ma'am." Endeavour replied. Columbia turned her head skywards. "Well, we can't travel overland. It's too far. But I know Houston wouldn't recommend flying in this." She mused. "Fuck it, we're going anyway. Saddle up ladies, we're taking the scenic route." There were groans behind her but Columbia ignored them. Flying was the fastest way and while they could taxi, there was so much debris covering the roads that it would take too long to mount any kind of rescue.

Columbia turned onto the runway first. Although she knew there was no one in the tower, she made her radio calls anyways aware that in the EOC there were people monitoring the frequency. "Kennedy Tower, NASA 102, flight of 3 on Runway 33 with the weather." _"NASA 102, Kennedy Tower. No point in telling you NOT to fly. You are cleared for takeoff Runway 33. Be careful!"_ "Oh I'm always careful." Columbia laughed. Once again there were groans behind her and Columbia could practically see Endeavour rolling her eyes and Discovery sticking her tongue at her. She ignored them both and put power into her engines. Hitting 100 knots she was suddenly eager to try out a new modification that the engineers at Palmdale had been so kind to install. While all the shuttles had their own fuel tanks for standard flight their delta wings made it exceptionally difficult to get the speeds necessary for the lift they needed, requiring excessive runway rolls. The addition of afterburners, while adding weight, produced a phenomenal amount of extra thrust and should in theory reduce the amount of tarmac needed to get airborne by half. Columbia, used to being the test bed and, by her own admission, prone to bouts of recklessness like she was now, decided to see if the engineers lived up to their hype. She lit the afterburners. The effect was immediate. Columbia pushed past 150 knots with ease and she was cruising at 200 before the 8000 foot marker. "Oh HELL YEAH!" At 230 knots she rotated and with the afterburners she could afford a steep angle of accent. She went nearly vertical, waggling her wings out of sheer joy. "I feel the NEED for SPEED!" She quoted and again there were groans. She banked to the left, heading due west into the wind and circled, waiting for her sisters. Discovery went next, followed by Endeavour and soon all three were circling the airfield. "You are insane. Absolutely insane." Endeavour said. "That was awesome! When can I go to Palmdale and get those?" Discovery asked. Columbia laughed. "Well, you are next up in the que. Ask nicely and maybe you'll get it." She grinned. Endeavour just rolled her eyes at her big siblings antics.

The three had to turn south to get to the moonshot but with the strong winds, they had to hold a steep crab angle which did shit to their performance. It was very hard work just to keep themselves aloft. "I'm beginning to see why people ground planes in hurricanes." Discovery said. "Less talking, more flying." Columbia growled. She, being a little heavier than her siblings had to push her engines harder to compensate. While being heavier made her more stable in the air, it also meant she had to work harder in situations like these. Not for the first time, she thanked the Air Force training program for their strict fitness regs. No way could she due this if she wasn't as fit as she was. It was 20 minutes before they overflew the moonshot. "Holy shit, its drifting out. No way can we swim out to it in that surf." Discovery said. "Then we won't." Columbia answered. "What? You're not thinking what I think you are, are you?" Discovery asked. "Oh boy." Endeavour gulped as Columbia dipped her wing and dove straight for the water. "Why do I even bother?" Discovery sighed and followed her. Endeavour shook her head furiously. "Nope. No way. I'll just find a way to swim out. I'm a strong swimmer, ah hey!" The last bit was because Discovery, realizing that Endeavour wasn't following had taken matters into her own rudders and grabbed her little sister by the wing pulling her down with her. Columbia made a smooth belly landing while Discovery, being furiously fought at by Endeavour, was a little less graceful. The two splashed down next to their big sister and when they surfaced Columbia could see Endeavour had her teeth in Discovery's right wing and Discovery had her jaws wrapped around Endeavour's tail fin. Columbia cleared her throat and the two broke apart. They were 2 miles from the beach and the deep water meant the swells weren't that bad where they were at. "Okay, it's gonna get nasty as we get in there." Columbia warned, eyeing the entrance to the bay in some trepidation. Shuttles were excellent swimmers and Columbia was one of the best but not even she would dare to swim through the bay's entrance in light swells, never mind a hurricane. But she had no choice in the matter now. "Okay girls, stay on my six. Once we're at the moonshot we'll get around it on three sides and push it back to the dock. Once its in place, two of us will climb out and tie it down. Understood?" "Yes ma'am." came the reply. "Okay, let's go."

Discovery stayed alongside Endeavour as Columbia led the way towards shore. Endeavour wasn't the best swimmer of the group and she found it difficult to keep her head above water. As they got closer, the three used the surf to push them on through the narrow entrance. Waves broke against the reef on either side of them and Columbia had to swallow back her fear. It was the first time she'd been afraid in the water. It would also, not be her last.

Columbia reached the Moonshot first, slamming her bulk into it hard. Inside, Zek and the others felt the jolt. "What was that?" He wondered. "Better not be the reef, it'll tear us to shreds." Barbara decided to take a look. Peaking through the blinds she pulled back a second later, very surprised. "It's Columbia." She said after a moment. "Columbia? What's she doing out here?!" Zek rushed to the window as well in time to see Discovery and Endeavour swim past to their positions. Moments later, the Moonshot shook as its direction suddenly changed. "They're pushing us to the dock." Zek said. Cheers rose up from everyone gathered.

Outside, Columbia relied on Discovery to guide them. Her sister was up front and could better see what was ahead. "Okay, slow down!" She shouted. Columbia backpedaled, bringing the Moonshot to a halt right up against the end of the dock. "Okay, Endeavour stay with me. Discovery, see if you can get that line around the building then I'll join you." Columbia said. Discovery nodded and climbed onto the beach. She was careful as she ventured onto the dock, hearing it creak and groan. 300,000 lbs was a lot of weight to take. "It's not going to hold." She called. "It'll hold long enough." Columbia called back. Discovery took the line in her mouth, using it to pull the Moonshot closer. With her pulling and her sister's pushing it wasn't long before they had the bar right where they wanted it. Discovery was quick to get the line tied off. "Okay, give me the second line, then send Endeavour up here. She can't hold the Moonshot by herself." "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Discovery." Endeavour huffed even as she worked against the current. The second line was key. Without it, the Moonshot would swing about its single line until it snapped, putting it straight on a collision course for the beach. Discovery had to work fast. Her sisters couldn't hold it in place forever.

As Discovery got the line wrapped around one of the strongest posts of the mangled dock, the board she was standing on finally decided that 300,000 lbs was too much for them and they suddenly broke. Discovery's startled yelp was cut off as she fell into the sea. "Discovery!" Endeavour shouted. "Keep it in place." Columbia ordered and charged towards the spot where her sister fell. Discovery hadn't surfaced yet but Columbia thought she spotted her tail fin among the floating boards. She felt a flash of fear. Had she just witnessed the loss of another sister? Columbia wasn't sure she could take it if that was the case. She couldn't hide her relief when Discovery's head finally burst clear of the water. Columbia was quickly alongside and helping her to shore. The two climbed onto the beach, pelted by the driving rain all the way. "Are you alright?" She asked. "No, I think I've broken something. It's my right main." Discovery replied. Columbia leaned down to look. She could see one of the upper supports was sticking out at an odd angle. "That's broken alright, if not dislocated as well." She looked around, trying to find someplace sheltered. A large tree loomed ahead not far off. "I'll get you to that tree." She said. "No, help Endeavour. She's not a good swimmer and I don't think she can manage the Moonshot on her own for much longer." Discovery replied. As if to prove her point, Endeavour shouted "Columbia, I need you back here!" "Can you make it on your own?" Columbia asked. Discovery smirked. "Try and stop me." She replied. Columbia gave her a nod and as Discovery limped up the bank, Columbia leaped back into the water, taking a hold of the line that Discovery had dropped. She gave it a tug and pulled with all her might. It was hard with just two shuttles now rather than three and Endeavour was certainly no squid but they somehow managed to get the Moonshot back up against the dock. Columbia climbed onto the dock, getting her front wheel up before the boards gave way again. She slid back into the water. Cursing her weight she just managed to hold onto the line and keep her head above the surface. Growling and more determined than ever, the shuttle tried further back and closer to shore, where the supports were stronger. This time, as she climbed out the dock held even though it creaked a little. This time, Columbia tied it to one of the big supports so that even if the dock boards gave way, the Moonshot would still stay put. She did the same with the other line as well, adding a third and forth for good measure. Once finished, she jumped back into the water to help the now exhausted Endeavour to shore.

The two joined Discovery under the tree where Columbia gave her wound a more thorough inspection. "Well, its safe to say you're grounded." She said. "Figured that out myself strangely enough." Discovery snarked back and Columbia hid a smirk. If Discovery was well enough to give her some cheek, then she would be just fine. "How are you holding up Endeavour?" She asked her other sister. "I feel like I need a soak in the hot tub but otherwise I'm alright." Endeavour replied as she lay down. "Get some rest." Columbia ordered. "I'll take first watch. We all need to stay until this thing blows over just in case the Moonshot breaks free again." They both nodded. Endeavour snuggled against Discovery who gently curled around her little sister. The two were asleep within minutes. Columbia lay down beside them. She herself was exhausted but it would be foolish to underestimate the hurricane now.

When the eye wall passed over half an hour later, Columbia decided she could afford to relax. It would be another hour before the second half of the storm hit and when it did, its winds would cancel out the waves currently breaking on shore. The worst of the storm was over. She sighed, rising to her wheels and moving to rest beside Endeavour. Endeavour shivered as she felt Columbia's cold flank against her and she nearly woke up as her sister gave a tremendous sneeze but as Columbia settled in, and the warmth spread, she relaxed. The flagship rested her head over Endeavour's flank, nose resting close to Discovery's tail. Closing her eyes, she gave into her exhaustion and allowed sleep to take her as well.

All three shuttles received a promotion for their heroic efforts. Endeavour rose to the rank of Major. Discovery became a Lt. Colonel and Columbia got her first star as a Brigadier General. The three then spent the next 2 weeks in their hangers with a nasty case of the flue.


	27. The Ash Prank

_June 12, 2011_

All the shuttles were down due to their impending retirement. Discovery had already flown. Endeavour had landed just a week ago. Atlantis was scheduled to launch within the month, ending the program after 30 years. Despite this somber fact, she had reason to be happy. As the only squid on base, she was often the butt of the Air Force jokes. But today was the one day that she could turn the tables.

Snickering to herself, she gathered up her supplies and set out upon her sisters hangers. Both Discovery and Endeavour were at breakfast so she had just 30 minutes to get everything ready. The prank, while exceptionally mean spirited when one looked closely at it, was 20 years in the making. Atlantis held up bags of a soft gray powdery substance, making a note to thank the donor as soon as possible.

She slipped through Discovery rather impressive defenses and hung up some of the bags just inside the door. She did the same to Endeavour. Endeavour got dry bags while Atlantis added water to Discovery's. When mixed with water, ash became like cement. It would take Discovery a long time to wash herself off. Snickering to herself, Atlantis retreated to the safety of her own hanger to watch events unfold.

Endeavour got it first. Opening the door slightly resulted in a face full of fine ash. Coughing she shook herself off then loudly cried "Alright, who did this?!" "Did you seriously just ask that?" Discovery asked as she opened her door. She was snickering at the sight of her sister covered in ash when, from above, the water laden ash bags dumped their load on her. And unlike Endeavour, who could just shake herself off, Discovery was coated in the now very sticky stuff. With a clump dripping down between her eyes she and Endeavour, who was trying very hard not to laugh, turned to Atlantis who made sure to keep herself well hidden within her hanger. "ATLANTIS!" "ATLANTIS YOU WILL PAY WHEN I GET CLEANED UP! UGH!" Atlantis, who knew full well that Discovery would make her life hell for this, laughed while she still could.

A second laughter joined her, the other end of a long distance call dialed just for this moment. _"Judging from your sister's rage, I take it the bags worked?"_ "Like an absolute charm Pin." Atlantis replied, cackling. _"Well, I'm on the other side of the world here, and its late so I'm going to sleep."_ "Any time's too late for you." Atlantis snorted. _"Hey, I'm still trying to recharge since your sister set me off on my last, tantrum."_ "That seriously what you're calling it? A tantrum? I'd hate to know what you'd be like in full kill mode!" _"More explosive."_ The tone was so dry it almost sent Atlantis into hysterical laughter, almost.


End file.
